(4-3-2-1) Arsenal predicted XI vs Liverpool: Changes at the back & up front as Arteta set to correct past mistakes with Calafiori admission
(4-3-2-1) Arsenal predicted XI vs Liverpool: Changes at the back & up front as Arteta set to correct past mistakes with Calafiori admission
As the 2024/25 Premier League season draws nearer, all eyes are on the opening weekend and the much-anticipated lineups of the ‘Big Six’ teams – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham.
With the transfer window closing soon and pre-season form still fresh, predicting the starting 11 for these powerhouse clubs is a tantalizing puzzle for fans and analysts alike. Tactical shifts, recent transfers, and pre-season performances make it exceptionally difficult to foresee how teams will shape up, especially with new signings potentially on the way in. But, with rumours flying around and with warm-up games in full flow, everyone is starting to get an idea about how each team will be set up.
For clubs like Man City and Liverpool – for differing reasons – their starting XIs will almost certainly tell the story of rinse and repeat. However, for clubs like Chelsea and Man United, who both struggled last season, squad overhauls mean their lineups will look completely different, making any predictions extremely difficult.
Arsenal
Riccardo Calafiori could be joined by another signing
Arsenal thought they found the key to Premier League glory last summer when they signed Declan Rice and Jurrien Timber. But with Man City beating them in a second successive two-horse race, Mikel Arteta has once again dipped his toes back into the transfer market this summer with the ultimate aim of winning the Gunners a first league trophy in 20 years.
Riccardo Calafiori comes into the side off the back of an impressive EURO 2024 campaign, which will see him slot straight into the left-back role ahead of Oleksandr Zinchenko. Meanwhile, Mikel Merino – who scored the dramatic extra-time winner for Spain to send them into the European Championship quarter-final ahead of Germany – will more than likely be given the nod in midfield over the likes of Fabio Vieira and Jorginho if he signs.
This means that, for now at least, Kai Havertz is expected to keep his place in attack. A lot has been said about the German since moving to England in 2020, but he is finally starting to show glimmers of his days at Bayer Leverkusen. And after having notched his best goals and assists tally in the Premier League last season, there’s no reason he can’t be trusted to lead the line.
