This fixture is a sizzling one
A crunch early battle of supremacy between last season’s two contenders – or at least while Liverpool gunned for the title, Mikel Arteta’s side stood very close by and watched.
The Spaniard will want to avoid being so pedestrian this season. In fact Arsenal have already made a statement with their summer business, bringing in up to seven players to support last season’s cast.
It has reduced the anxiety that would have followed from the absence of Bukayo Saka especially, if not Kai Havertz. With the England winger missing for “a couple of weeks” through a hamstring injury that is “a big concern”, Arteta could call on the services of any of the new boys Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke, or the old guard Reiss Nelson or Leandro Trossard, assuming Gabriel Martinelli is the option on the left.
But Anfield is a bit of a boogey destination for the Gunners. They have drawn five of their last 12 Premier League fixtures there, and lost the rest.
There is little Arteta hasn’t done to change this, including having the Liverpool anthem blaring on Arsenal’s London Colney training ground while the boys worked. Perhaps there is some consolation in the fact that three of those draws have come in the last three seasons.
So Arsenal are improving, but have they done enough to go over there and snatch a victory while the Kop watches on?
On the other side, Arne Slot’s well-oiled machine of last season is now creaking and jerking a little bit. Hugo Ekitike has been a joy to watch but the title-winning midfield musketeers have been separated and Florian Wirtz still needs a bit of time to get used to the shoving, pulling, kicking and running of the Premier League.
The result is that Liverpool have conceded two goals in their last two games, the latest against a side that there were a man down for the entire second half. Rio Ngumoha saved Slot’s side last week with a late, late, late, intervention after a match-defining dummy from the under-appreciated Dominik Szoboszlai.
Will Arne Slot get away with it this week against perhaps his biggest rivals?
Team News
Alexis Mac Allister missed the slugfest at St James’ Park but is available to play host to Arsenal. New right-back Jeremie Frimpong is out until after the international break, which means that Szoboszlai is likely to fill in at right-back once more, having been decent there against the Magpies.
Conor Bradley has been training but is likely not ready to be thrust into a crucial fixture like this one, at least not from the start. Everyone else is fit and available for the Reds.
In the visiting camp, Saka is definitely missing and so is Kai Havertz. Gabriel Jesus is a long-term absentee, with a cruciate ligament tear that has sidelined him since the turn of the year.
In more positive news, Arsenal are “doing everything that we can” to make Martin Odegaard available. There is also some optimism surrounding Ben White and Christian Norgaard.
Predicted Lineups
Liverpool predicted lineup vs Arsenal (4-3-3): Alisson; Szoboszlai, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Liverpool (4-3-3): Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Odegaard, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli
Date: Sunday, 31 August 2025
Kick-off Time: 4.30 p.m. BST / 12.30 p.m. ET
Liverpool vs Arsenal Match Prediction
Liverpool 2-2 Arsenal
