Key occasions
An absolute ridiculous El Clásico is recently happening. Five objectives in 35 mins?!
Follow it reside right here.
Let’s now not fail to remember Arsenal are going to provide Liverpool, the brand new Premier League champions, a guard of honour these days. It will actually rankle with Mikel Arteta and everybody hooked up with the Gunners to take action, however Arteta graciously gave credit score to Arne Slot’s aspect in his pre-match press convention:
They deserve that. They’ve been the most efficient crew, they’ve been essentially the most constant, and what Arne and the training team of workers have finished has been interesting, it’s been actually excellent. They absolutely deserve it, and that’s the game. If someone’s higher, it’s important to approve and settle for and check out to achieve that degree.
Scorelines to make enthusiasts of each Liverpool and Arsenal satisfied:
That Europa League ultimate must be an absolute doozy.
‘No Rice’ is trending on X and it’s unrelated to my Saturday evening takeaway order. The reason why for Declan Rice’s absence from the Arsenal matchday squad isn’t absolutely transparent but it surely’s conceivable he’s being rested after his midweek labor because the Gunners exited the Champions League towards PSG.
How Mikel Arteta’s crew cope with out the influential midfielder goes to be fascinating. There are two differing perspectives on what Rice gives to this aspect: some say he’s the central lynchpin, others argue his affect is overstated. Let’s see who’s proper – Arsenal are more likely to come below various drive at an expectant Anfield these days.
Team information
Liverpool: Alisson; Bradley, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones, Szoboszlai, Salah, Gakpo, Díaz.
Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Núñez, Mac Allister, Elliott, Jota, Tsimikas, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah.
Arsenal: Raya; White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly; Partey, Merino, Ødegaard; Trossard, Martinelli, Saka.
Subs: Neto, Tierney, Timber, Zinchenko, Sterling, Calafiori, Butler-Oyedeji, Henry-Francis, Nwaneri.
Preamble
What a disgrace for the neutrals this sport doesn’t imply extra. It’s a vintage case of what would possibly had been. A identify decider? A ding-ding top-of-the-table conflict? A titanic combat between first and 2nd with echoes of 1989, Michael Thomas and all that?
Liverpool’s ruthless potency below Arne Slot and Arsenal’s many shortcomings, particularly within the Premier League this season, imply it is going to be not one of the above. It’s little greater than two groups enjoying for delight, with the newly-crowned Reds – who gets a guard of honour from their nearest identify ‘challengers – looking to put a marker down against the Gunners.
The gap at the summit could grow to a whopping 18 points by the end of the day, although the visitors will hope to cut it to 12 by praying – as Chelsea did last week – that Liverpool will be on the proverbial beach. Team news will drop in the next post; then we’ll get into the beef of the motion. It’s a 4.30pm kick-off, UK time.