Who: Liverpool vs Arsenal
What: English Premier League
Where: Anfield in Liverpool, United Kingdom
When: Sunday, August 31, at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT)
How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 1:30pm (12:30 GMT) in advance of our live text commentary stream.
Liverpool and Arsenal will both try to remain perfect in the Premier League on Sunday when they meet in Merseyside, England.
Champions Liverpool finished 10 points clear of Arsenal last season, with the Gunners claiming second spot for a third consecutive season.
Al Jazeera Sport takes a look a titanic early season title clash.
What have Liverpool’s Premier League results been so far?
Liverpool have had the far more adventurous route to their flawless record, twice giving back late leads only to score match-winning goals even later.
Last Monday, it was Mohamed Salah setting up 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha deep in second-half stoppage time to seal a 3-2 victory at Newcastle United.
Their opening game resulted in a 4-2 home win against Bournemouth, but the Reds had to overcome a late fightback by the visitors.
Who have Arsenal beaten in the Premier League so far this season?
Arsenal have yet to concede in the new campaign and last Saturday romped to a 5-0 home victory over Leeds United that was realistically decided when Bukayo Saka scored the Gunners’ second goal in first-half stoppage time.
The north Londoners opened the new season with a 1-0 win at Manchester United, although the goal came after a mistake by the home keeper in an underwhelming performance by the Gunners.
Do Liverpool still need Alexander Isak?
The Reds have had one bid for Newcastle striker Alexander Isak turned down, and manager Arne Slot has hinted a second offer could be on the cards.
The meeting between the two clubs at St James’ Park was a contentious environment fuelled by the transfer saga surrounding Liverpool’s pursuit of Isak.
But the good news for Slot is that so far, his side appears less reliant on the veteran Salah for their attacking production, thanks in no small part to their summer transfer business.
In particular, former Eintracht Frankfurt attacker Hugo Ekitike is off to a quick start at Anfield with two goals and an assist, including Liverpool’s second tally at Newcastle.
“I think he has already made a big impact in the attacking part of our game,” Slot said Friday. “Not only scoring goals but also being part of build-up situations where he was someone that started the attack or was part of us starting an attack. I’m talking about a difference a bit more than last season, although when [Luis Diaz] played there he was also a lot of times part of our build-up.”
How are Arsenal shaping up for another Premier League title bid?
Saka, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard are already dealing with injuries, with the former two expected to miss at least several weeks.
That will put the focus on recent signings like Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres and Eberechi Eze, who were acquired in part to help Arsenal combat exactly these kinds of situations.
Gyokeres scored his first two Premier League goals – including one from the penalty spot – against Leeds. Eze has yet to debut for the Gunners after completing his transfer from Crystal Palace for a reported fee just north of $80m this week.
“It’s the start of the season and we lost three of our main players, but that’s the reality,” Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said. “A very unfortunate situation, three very different situations. But that’s why we keep insisting, like everybody else, you need a big squad to be able to cope and sustain the level.”
What happened last season between Liverpool and Arsenal at Anfield?
The Gunners have drawn their last three trips to Anfield, but lost the last six prior to that.
It will certainly be all hands to the pump once again for Arsenal, having not won at Anfield in the Premier League since 2012.
“The favourite is always the one that won in the previous year. Someone has to come and take that crown away from them, and that’s what we, the rest, are going to try to do,” Arteta said of Liverpool’s title win.
“Very important game. You want to continue building the momentum we are in right now. Going to those grounds, against this kind of opposition, is what you want. Coming from those big games winning in a really convincing way is the objective.”
One player who could help in that regard is Eze.
“When you are next to him, you are comfortable. He’s got a big smile. He picks teams apart,” Arteta said.
“He asks you the right questions and then just let him flow with the ball and the ability he has to pick passes, to drive past people effortlessly and just to understand the timing of things, it’s very impressive.”
Head-to-head
This is the 245th meeting between the clubs.
Liverpool have won 94 of the meetings, with Arsenal claiming victory in 81 of the encounters.
Liverpool team news
Liverpool have no new injury concerns for the match.
Conor Bradley substitute appearance against Newcastle was his first of the season, while Alexis Mac Allister is available after missing the trip to St James’ Park.
Anthony Gordon was sent off for a tackle on Virgil van Dijk in that match, but the Reds captain has been passed clear to play against Arsenal.
Arsenal team news
Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz will be sidelined for many weeks after picking up injuries, while skipper Martin Odegaard is a doubt for the Premier League clash, manager Mikel Arteta said on Friday.
Saka limped off during Arsenal’s 5-0 home win over Leeds United, and Arteta said he injured his hamstring. However, he will not require surgery, which kept him out for months last season.
“Bukayo is doing better but he is out for a few weeks, unfortunately. No surgery, it’s not as bad as the previous one,” Arteta told reporters.
“Obviously, it’s very unfortunate to pick it up, but it’s on the other side … Let’s see how he evolves in the next few days and weeks, repeat the scan and see where he’s at.”
Havertz injured his knee in their season opener at Manchester United and Arsenal confirmed the German underwent a minor surgical procedure.
“I think it will be weeks, but I don’t know how many months. Very unfortunate, very sad for him,” Arteta said of Havertz, who also underwent surgery on a hamstring injury earlier this year.
“He did tremendously well to recover from the previous one; he’d never had an injury before, and suddenly this happens.
“But this is our profession… we need to live with that. We lost another big player for many, many weeks, but it [surgery] was the right thing to do.”
Odegaard was also substituted early in the win over Leeds with a shoulder problem, and Arteta said he is unsure if his skipper will play a part.
“We don’t know yet. He hasn’t trained yet, and if he does, it will be tomorrow,” he said.
New recruit Christian Norgaard and Ben White are also being monitored.
Liverpool predicted starting lineup
Alisson; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Szoboszlai, Gravenberch; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Ekitike
Arsenal predicted starting lineup
Raya; Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori; Eze, Zubimendi, Rice; Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli
