Liverpool v Arsenal: match preview where to watch and verdict

Premier League: Liverpool v Arsenal

Where to watch

Sky Sports Main Event, 8pm Monday

Match odds

9-20 Liverpool, 11-2 Arsenal, 18-5 draw

Form

Liverpool kicked off their title defence with a hard-earned 4-3 win over Leeds but looked more like their old selves going to Chelsea and winning 2-0 courtesy of a Sadio Mane double.

Arsenal boast six points out of six and, like Liverpool, have been hit and miss – excellent when winning 3-0 at Fulham, less so in a 2-1 win against West Ham.

These Premier League rivals have met this season, drawing 1-1 in the Community Shield at Wembley last month. The Gunners lifted the trophy after winning the shootout.

Team news

Liverpool: Joe Gomez (knock) is set to return to training on Friday and should be available, while Jordan Henderson (thigh) is also hoping to be in contention to return. Joel Matip (muscle) is still sidelined.

Arsenal: Calum Chambers, Gabriel Martinelli, Pablo Mari and Shkodran Mustafi are still out. Sokratis (calf), Kieran Tierney (groin) and Cedric Soares (calf) could be available. Mesut Ozil has not featured for the Gunners this season.

The tactical battle

Predicting Arsene Wenger’s tactics towards the end of his reign became something of a guessing game, though there are no prizes for working out how Mikel Arteta will line up at Anfield.

The 3-4-3 – a 5-2-3 when defending – is Arteta’s formation of choice and he now boasts the personnel to be able to deploy it.

There will be more defending to do than attacking at Liverpool so expect two anchorman in the heart of midfield and wide forwards Willian and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang having to track back when Liverpool launch their customary raids down the flanks.

Liverpool have added a couple of new names in the past week but Jurgen Klopp’s 4-3-3 set-up won’t alter. The German, mindful of what Leeds did to his side, will have to be wary of the Gunners’ express pace in attack and not defend with quite such a high line.

Verdict

Arsenal have already demonstrated they are massive improvers under Mikel Arteta and there is every reason for believing they will test the champions.

Yes, the Reds have played two and won two, but they rode their luck against Leeds while Chelsea had a man sent off and missed a penalty against them last time out.

The competition that continues to give goals is unlikely to go barren on us here; the last 16 matches between these two giants of the game have averaged 4.5 goals a time.

Liverpool 3 Arsenal 2

Key stats

• Liverpool have not lost a home Premier League match since a 2-1 loss to Crystal Palace in April 2017
• In Arsenal’s last five Premier League matches, 11 out of the 15 goals scored have arrived in the first half
• Both teams have scored in each of the last seven fixtures between Liverpool and Arsenal across all competitions
• The last 16 matches between these two sides have produced 72 goals at 4.5 goals per game

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