(4-3-2-1) Eberechi Eze dream debut,Merino back in the XI”, Predicted Arsenal line up vs Liverpool – As Mikel Arteta makes three crucial changes to cover up for both Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka

(4-3-2-1) Eberechi Eze dream debut,Merino back in the XI”, Predicted Arsenal line up vs Liverpool – As Mikel Arteta makes three crucial changes to cover up for both Martin Ødegaard and Bukayo Saka

Gold hosts silver in Sunday’s Premier League main event, as reigning champions Liverpool take on perpetual runners-up Arsenal at Anfield in an early title six-pointer.

Both contenders will put 100% records on the line on August 31, but while the Reds trump the Gunners on the scoring front, it has been a different story defensively thus far.

Match preview
From feistiness and flair to fledgling teenage attackers scoring dramatic winning goals, Liverpool’s top-flight battle with Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Monday night lived up to the hype and then some, as the Reds left their northern neighbours crestfallen at the sound of the final whistle.

Even after ex-Liverpool product Anthony Gordon took the walk of shame for a crunching challenge on Virgil van Dijk, the Magpies had the look of a side playing with 11 men to the Reds’ 10, coming back from 2-0 down to level the scores and looking good for a scarcely-believable winner.

However, a 2008-born phenom had other ideas, as with no fewer than 100 minutes on the clock, Dominik Szoboszlai cleverly dummied Mohamed Salah’s ball into the box, and the completely free Rio Ngumoha did the rest to prolong the Reds’ perfect start to the season.

Nevertheless, Arne Slot and co have major repairs to undertake defensively – such frailties mean they trail both Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur in the early-season Premier League standings – but at the other end of the Anfield pitch, history can be made.

Indeed, Liverpool need only find the back of the net once to set a new club record of 37 consecutive top-flight matches with a goal, and in their 40 Premier League battles under Slot so far, the holders have got themselves on the scoreboard in 39 of them.

Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring on August 23, 2025
While Liverpool have mixed attacking firepower with rearguard vulnerabilities in the 2025-26 Premier League season thus far, defensive discipline was the name of the game for Arsenal at Old Trafford, before Mikel Arteta enjoyed the best of both worlds against Leeds United at the Emirates.

The less said about the Gunners’ attempts to break down the Whites in the opening half-hour the better, but once the obligatory corner goal set the wheels in motion, Arteta’s side tore Daniel Farke’s meek men to shreds on what was close to a perfect afternoon – barring the additional fitness blows.

Viktor Gyokeres’s brace, Jurrien Timber’s masterclass and Max Dowman’s delightful debut were among the many highlights in North London, and Arsenal could now achieve a feat they have not managed for 101 years – win their opening three league games of a season without conceding.

Clean sheets or no clean sheets, Arsenal have won their first three Premier League matches of a campaign just once in the last 20 years – doing so in 2022-23 – but they have started to frustrate their foes from the north time and time again under Arteta.

Arsenal come into Sunday’s blockbuster on a six-match unbeaten run against Liverpool in the Premier League, but the Gunners are still waiting for their first top-flight win at Anfield since 2012, when Arteta was among the starters in a 2-0 victory as Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla struck.

Liverpool Premier League form:

Liverpool form (all competitions):

Arsenal Premier League form:

Team News
Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard pictured on August 23, 2025
Liverpool’s defensive indiscipline can be partially attributed to Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister not starting a game together yet this season, but the latter is back in training after missing the Newcastle clash and is on track to be available.

As a result, the Reds’ only absentee for the visit of the Gunners is new signing Jeremie Frimpong (hamstring); Szoboszlai held his own as a makeshift right-back against Newcastle, but Conor Bradley is an alternative option for the weekend.

Scorer of 11 goals against Arsenal in the past, only Harry Kane (14) and Wayne Rooney (12) have struck more times against Sunday’s visitors than Salah, who ought to comprise part of an unchanged front four when Arteta’s men come to town.

While Liverpool are almost in tip-top shape, Arsenal have lost influential attacking duo Bukayo Saka (hamstring) and Kai Havertz (knee) for a number of weeks, while captain Martin Odegaard has not yet trained since picking up a shoulder problem in the thumping of Leeds.

Moreover, Leandro Trossard (unspecified), Ben White (knock) and Christian Norgaard (knock) are all on the touch-and-go list, while Gabriel Jesus (ACL) is a couple of months away from a return at best, but Arsenal now arguably have the depth to cope with an early-season mini-crisis.

In awe as he was presented to the Emirates crowd last week, Eberechi Eze will vie with Ethan Nwaneri to step in for Odegaard, while Noni Madueke will fill Saka’s boots on the right-hand side.

Liverpool possible starting lineup:

Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike

Arsenal possible starting lineup:

Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Eze, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli