The highly anticipated clash between Liverpool and Arsenal, the Premier League`s top two teams from last season, is set to be the first major spectacle of the new campaign. This Sunday`s encounter at Anfield is more than just a game; it could significantly influence the early trajectory and confidence for both clubs as the season unfolds.
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal boasts an impressive recent record against Liverpool, having remained unbeaten in their Premier League meetings since March 2022. However, Arteta himself has not secured a top-flight victory at Anfield since his playing days in 2012. Both sides are eager to maintain a perfect start, each chasing a third consecutive win. Liverpool, under new manager Arne Slot, needs to tighten its defense, which has already conceded six goals across their league and Community Shield fixtures. Conversely, their potent attack is in menacing form and will undoubtedly test Arsenal’s backline. As the heavyweights prepare, here are some of the key tactical and personnel issues both coaches will be grappling with:
1. How will Arsenal contain Mohamed Salah?
Containing Mohamed Salah at full throttle is an almost impossible feat, but if any team has managed to limit his influence in recent years, it`s Arsenal. While the Egyptian has still produced moments of brilliance against his title rivals, Mikel Arteta’s defense has, at times, effectively forced him to live off scraps.
Arsenal`s strategy is relatively straightforward: Salah typically drives infield from the right flank onto his stronger right foot. They often counter this by deploying a right-footed defender at left-back, ideally one who can also cover overlapping runs or Salah’s drives down the byline. Takehiro Tomiyasu was a prime example of this strategy, and Jurrien Timber performed admirably for 76 minutes in last season`s Emirates clash. However, a few minutes later, Salah scored an equalizer that, in retrospect, may have dampened Arsenal`s title momentum.
With a full complement of players, Arteta might have been tempted to move Timber to left-back again. However, Arsenal`s persistent injury woes continue. Without Ben White, a robust and reliable option, there’s only one natural right-back available. This means either Riccardo Calafiori or Myles Lewis-Skelly will likely be tasked with marking Salah. Lewis-Skelly performed relatively effectively at the end of last season, though he faced a “satiated” Salah with little left to prove in 2024-25. Despite his youth at 18, Lewis-Skelly’s defensive excellence is remarkable, and entrusting him with shutting down England’s best attacker might surprisingly be Arteta`s most conservative option.
It’s not that Calafiori lacks defensive capability, but in an Arsenal shirt, he often operates with a license to roam, acting as an agent of chaos across the field – a style that once saw him side-footing the ball into the Etihad net from 30 yards. The crucial question remains: can he curb his enthusiasm for flying forward, and indeed, should he?
Viewing Information and Odds
- Date: Sunday, August 31
- Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
- Location: Anfield — Liverpool, United Kingdom
- TV: NBC
- Odds: Liverpool +125; Draw +240; Arsenal +210
2. Can Florian Wirtz neutralize Martin Zubimendi?
It`s rare for managers to discuss how an opposition player might fit into their own team, especially one who turned them down a year prior. Yet, Arne Slot openly admitted his vision for Martin Zubimendi. The football world knew Liverpool sought to make him a cornerstone of Slot`s first season, only for Zubimendi to get cold feet, with Arsenal later expressing interest.
“What we liked about him was how good he is on the ball, and how much game insight he has,” Slot stated. “We believed, and it proved true, that we would have significant possession in every game, and having someone defensively strong yet comfortable on the ball in front of our defense would have been a good fit for us.”
As Slot noted, Liverpool ultimately found much of what they needed in Ryan Gravenberch. However, Gravenberch will face a special talent in Zubimendi, a controlling midfield presence capable of dictating the pace of a game. If Arteta pairs Zubimendi with Declan Rice in a true double pivot, an experiment seen this season, Arsenal could dominate the midfield battle against Gravenberch and a recently fit-again Alexis Mac Allister.
Liverpool’s deeper midfielders will require assistance, and Florian Wirtz may be the one to provide it. The former Bayer Leverkusen star has yet to dominate a Premier League game in possession but has swiftly adapted to Slot’s off-ball requirements. A willing presser, Wirtz averages a recovery in the attacking third approximately every 50 minutes (though this is based on a small sample size). He will need to amplify this off-ball work. Arsenal will aim to stifle the Anfield atmosphere with steady, controlled possession, but a key regain or two in a dangerous area by Wirtz could ignite the Kop.
3. Is this Noni Madueke`s moment to shine?
Few £50 million signings have been met with the sheer fan aggravation that Noni Madueke’s arrival from Chelsea sparked among Arsenal supporters last summer. Online petitions garnered thousands of signatures, and graffiti appeared outside the Emirates demanding Arteta’s dismissal. Every summer seems to highlight how transfer culture can skew football fans` perceptions. This was a prime example, especially since Arsenal had acquired a player capable of addressing multiple squad issues. Madueke has already proven he can deepen options on the left wing, offering a more cross-first, left-footed alternative to Gabriel Martinelli. Now, he could get an opportunity on his favored right flank.
Last season, Arsenal had to rush Bukayo Saka back for Liverpool’s visit to the Emirates, a match he lit up with an early goal but faded in as he battled a muscle issue. Within two months, he suffered a major hamstring injury. While there’s no prospect of Saka returning this weekend from the issue that forced him off against Leeds, Arsenal will hope this match provides Madueke with an opportunity to offer them some much-needed breathing room.
The 23-year-old impressed against Trent Alexander-Arnold when deployed on Chelsea`s left wing last season. Now, he should fancy his chances against Milos Kerkez, who, even as the more reserved of Liverpool’s new fullbacks, is not shy about bombing forward. Madueke’s direct running and pace seem ideally suited to probe the spaces behind the champions’ backline – areas that Bournemouth and Newcastle have previously exploited. This could be a prime opportunity for the new signing to win over the skeptics in the Arsenal fanbase.
