Arsenal take on Liverpool in highly-anticipated Super Sunday clash.

2024-10-21

Arsenal welcome Liverpool to the Emirates in a tantalising clash, as the Gunners aim to narrow the gap on the Premier League leaders by securing a third consecutive home triumph over the Reds this Sunday.

Arsenal

Arsenal return to Premier League action after a 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League. A fortunate own goal secured their win, and they are now aiming to close the gap on league leaders Liverpool.

Currently in third place with 17 points from 5 wins, 2 draws, and 1 loss, the Gunners are four points behind the Reds, whom they face on Super Sunday. Last weekend, Arsenal experienced their first defeat of the season, a 2-0 loss to Bournemouth, where they played most of the match with ten men after William Saliba was sent off for the first time in his career.

Arsenal, with a recent record of WDWWL, have defeated Liverpool in their last two Premier League home encounters and are eager to extend that run. If successful, it will be the first time since a four-game streak from 2004 to 2006 that they've achieved three consecutive home wins against Liverpool.

A 4-4-2 formation featuring Kai Havertz and Leandro Trossard in attack is anticipated. William Saliba is suspended following his red card, and Martin Odegaard, Oleksandr Zinchenko, and Kieran Tierney are sidelined with injuries. Additionally, Bukayo Saka and Riccardo Calafiori are doubtful for this weekend's fixture.

On loan from Bournemouth, goalkeeper Neto returns to eligibility after missing last weekend’s match against his parent club.

Liverpool

Liverpool recently secured a narrow victory in their UEFA Champions League clash with a 1-0 win over Leipzig, thanks to an early goal from Darwin Núñez.

The Reds enter Premier League action buoyed by four consecutive wins, the latest being a 2-1 triumph over Chelsea. Despite their impressive form, manager Arne Slot has advised his team to remain cautious.

In a pre-match press conference, Slot compared Chelsea to Arsenal, noting their similar playing style and acknowledging the challenge of facing Arsenal away. He remarked, "Normally, because it’s an away game, this one is even more difficult than Chelsea at home."

Darwin Núñez, the midweek hero, is expected to lead the line in a 4-2-3-1 formation against Arsenal. Slot also provided an injury update, stating, "Federico might train with us today or tomorrow – but Diogo definitely not."