Arsenal vs Liverpool LIVE: Team news and line-ups from huge Premier League clash as Saka returns to start
The Gunners are in danger of falling further behind in the title race as they host the league leaders
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Arsenal host Liverpool in Sunday’s headline Premier League fixture which could have a lasting impact on the title race. Even at this early stage of the season this clash of possible contenders could determine who is in with a shout of beating Manchester City to the trophy.
The Gunners, who dropped points in a 2-0 loss to Bournemouth last week, will fall seven points behind Liverpool if they lose today while defeat for Arne Slot’s men would surely see them hand first place over to Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions.
For Arsenal to prove their title credentials they must defeat a Liverpool side in glorious form and do so without a key players. Mikel Arteta will not have the likes of Martin Odegaard nor Riccardo Calafiori available at the Emirates and will be hoping Bukayo Saka has shaken off a knock in time to make an impact.
Slot and Liverpool are without No. 1 goalkeeper Alisson but Caoimhin Kelleher is a proven deputy and, on paper at least, the Reds look like the stronger side. Will they prove to be so on the pitch?
Follow all the action from the Emirates with our live blog below:
Liverpool match facts
Liverpool haven’t failed to score in any of their last 17 Premier League meetings with Arsenal since a 0-0 draw in August 2015.
If Liverpool win this game, it’ll be their second-best ever start to a Premier League season after nine games. Indeed, the only other occasion in which they’ve won 24 or more points at that stage of a Premier League campaign was in 2019-20, when they last won the title (25 – W8 D1).
Liverpool have conceded fewer goals than any other team in the Premier League this season (with three), while they also have the lowest ‘xG against’ total (6.2). Their three goals conceded are their joint-fewest after eight games of a league campaign in club history (also three in 1978-79 and 2018-19).
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard closing in on return to full fitness
Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard could return to action in time for Norway’s Nations League matches next month, according to his national team boss Stale Solbakken.
Norway face Slovenia in Ljubljana on November 12 before hosting Kazakhstan three days later and Solbakken has “justified hope” the Gunners captain will prove his fitness in time to be included in their squad.
Odegaard has not featured for Arsenal since damaging ankle ligaments at the start of September during Norway’s Nations League win against Austria.
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard closing in on return to full fitness
Odegaard has not featured for Arsenal since damaging ankle ligaments at the end of August during Norway’s Nations League win against Austria.
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold sets Ballon d’Or target and vows to ‘change the game’
Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has backed himself to become the world’s best player and says he aims to be remembered as a “legend” and a player who “changed the game” of football.
The playmaker has long been regarded as one of the Premier League’s top talents on account of his range of passing, creativity and set-piece delivery, having already won the league title and Champions League.
While that did not always mean international caps came his way while Gareth Southgate was in charge, he has quickly become interim boss Lee Carsley’s top performer, while also remaining key at Anfield after the change in boss from Jurgen Klopp to Arne Slot.
Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold sets Ballon d’Or target and vows to ‘change the game’
The Reds’ right-back has been linked with a move to Real Madrid
Arsenal match facts
Arsenal have won their last two Premier League home games against Liverpool – they last had a longer such run between 2004 and 2006, with four.
The Gunners are unbeaten in their last four Premier League games against Liverpool (winning two and drawing two), and have taken more points from these four games (eight) than they had in their previous 14 against the Reds (seven points, with one win, four draws and nine losses.
However, after losing to Bournemouth last time out, Arsenal face the prospect of losing back-to-back games in the Premier League for the first time since 31st December 2023 (0-2 v West Ham and 1-2 Fulham). Prior to their trip to Bournemouth, the Gunners had only lost one of their first 25 league games in 2024 (W21 D3).
Gabriel Martinelli has been involved in more goals against Liverpool in all competitions than he has against any other side for Arsenal (7 – 5 goals, 2 assists), while Kai Havertz has scored in each of his last five Premier League appearances at the Emirates Stadium.
Without William Saliba, Arsenal have a 45 per cent win rate and 1.6 goals conceded per game.
Mikel Arteta demands Arsenal ‘get on with it’ amid selection problems
Mikel Arteta has challenged his depleted Arsenal squad to “show their teeth” and “how much they want it” ahead of Liverpool’s crunch visit to the Emirates on Sunday.
The Gunners face being without a host of top stars for a fixture which could prove pivotal in the club’s bid to win their first Premier League title in two decades.
Captain Martin Odegaard and defender William Saliba will definitely miss Sunday’s clash through injury and suspension respectively, while Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori are also injury doubts.
Mikel Arteta demands Arsenal ‘get on with it’ amid selection problems
Martin Odegaard and William Saliba will definitely miss the Liverpool clash, while Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori are doubts.
Arne Slot has already counted the cost if Liverpool lose at Arsenal
Arne Slot’s preparations for a trip to the Emirates Stadium involved doing the maths. “If you look last season, it was seven points in between Arsenal and Liverpool,” he said. “The home game was 1-1, the away game Arsenal won. So if we could change the away result – which we can’t – to a win for Liverpool, that would have made a one-point difference between the two teams. So that’s why if you play your competitor, those games are vital.”
If it was another way of saying that Sunday’s visit to Arsenal is a six-pointer, it comes with a bigger context. Such season-defining games can decide the destination of trophies. And if Slot is not explicitly saying he is targeting the title, there is a subtext. He knows he is fortunate in his inheritance and often praises his predecessor. Yet it comes with his attempts to improve upon Jurgen Klopp’s recent record.
“If you look at the last two seasons, Arsenal are far ahead of us,” he said. Arsenal and Manchester City are the role models, at least in terms of results. Defeating them over 90 minutes may be the surest way to overcome them over nine months. Slot expects that a high points total will be required to win the league: it means he does not expect the contenders to drop too many against the rest of the league.
Arne Slot has already counted the cost if Liverpool lose at Arsenal
After an impressive start under the Dutchman, Slot’s side face another significant test as they visit the Emirates Stadium
Liverpool team changes
Arne Slot had pretty much a full squad to select from, excepting a couple of key players like Diogo Jota. The Liverpool boss makes four changes to the side that lined-up against RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
Andy Robertson returns to the back line with Curtis Jones preferred to Dominik Szoboslai in midfield.
Luis Diaz starts on the left with Cody Gakpo waiting on the bench.
Arsenal team changes
With all the injuried that Mikel Arteta has to juggle its no surprise that changes have been made to his team. There are three changes in personnel from the team that defeated Shakhtar Donetsk during the week.
Riccardo Calafiori is injured so is replaced with Jurrien Timber in the back line. With William Saliba suspended Ben White moves to centre-back as Thomas Partey drops in a right back.
In place of Saliba comes Mikel Merino who slots into the midfield but by far the biggest news is that Bukayo Saka is fit to start and takes the place of Gabriel Jesus on the right wing.
Confirmed teams: Arsenal v Liverpool
Arteta puts Thomas Partey right-back in a reshuffle for the Gunners. Jones gets the nod over Szoboszlai for the Reds.
ARS: Raya, Partey, White, Gabriel, Timber, Rice, Merino, Trossard, Saka, Martinelli, Havertz
LIV: Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson, Gravenberch, Jones, Mac Allister, Salah, Nunez, Diaz
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