🤕 Team news
Arsenal (official website)
Kieran Tierney has fully recovered from a groin issue and is ready to feature. Cedric Soares, Sokratis and Smith Rowe are nearing returns but won't be available for the Monday game. Chambers, Mustafi, Mari and Martinelli are sidelined.
Liverpool (official website)
Jordan Henderson, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Matip are ruled out for Monday. Joe Gomez has been training with the team and might feature. Alisson Becker, James Milner and Thiago Alcantara are all injury doubts as they've missed the recent training sessions.
📝 Possible lineups
Arsenal
It looks like the strongest XI Arteta has at his disposal. Slight changes are possible (Elneny for Ceballos or AMN for Bellerin) but the formation will be like this.
Leno; Tierney, Gabriel, David Luiz, Holding, Bellerin; Xhaka, Ceballos; Aubameyang, Lacazette, Willian.
Liverpool
If Alisson and Thiago both fail to recover, it should be Klopp's XI lined up in a 4-3-3 shape.
Adrian; Robertson, Van Dijk, Gomez, Alexander-Arnold; Wijnaldum, Fabinho, Keita; Mane, Firmino, Salah.
🔍 Stats you need to know (BBC)
Head-to-head
- Liverpool have won their past four home league games against Arsenal, their best run at Anfield since a seven-match winning streak ended in 1988.
- Arsenal beat Liverpool in July for the first time in 10 Premier League meetings (D4, L5).
- The Gunners can win back-to-back league games against Liverpool for the first time since September 2012.
Arsenal
- Arsenal can win their opening three Premier League games for the first time since a run of five victories in 2004-05.
- They won their opening two matches last season but then triumphed just twice in the next 13 fixtures (D7, L4).
- The Gunners can win four successive league fixtures for the first time since a run of seven from August to October 2018.
- Arsenal are winless in 27 Premier League away fixtures versus other established top-six teams since a 2-0 triumph at Manchester City in January 2015. They have conceded 61 goals in those 27 matches, drawing 10 and losing 17.
- Alexandre Lacazette has scored four goals in his past six Premier League appearances. He last scored in three consecutive league games in February 2019.
- Mikel Arteta can become the first Arsenal manager to win his first away trip to Liverpool in any competition since Tom Whittaker in December 1947. Nine managers since then have failed to win, with eight losing.
Liverpool
- Liverpool won their opening eight Premier League fixtures last season. The third match was a 3-1 home victory versus Arsenal.
- No reigning champion has won their opening three Premier League matches since Manchester United in 2011-12.
- Liverpool's 60-match unbeaten league run at home is the third longest in the history of England's top four divisions, behind Chelsea's 86 games (2004-08) and Liverpool's own streak of 63 (1978-80).
- They have scored in 35 successive Premier League home fixtures since a 0-0 draw versus Manchester City in October 2018.
- However, the Reds have conceded three goals in back-to-back league games at Anfield for the first time since September 1982.
- Mo Salah has scored 26 of his last 33 Premier League goals at Anfield.
- Thiago's last three competitive appearances against Arsenal ended in 5-1 victories, all for Bayern Munich in the Champions League.
🔮 Predictions
Dimitar Berbatov (Metro): 3-1
"I’m looking forward to this, it should be a great game, and we’ll see what Arsenal have to offer. Liverpool have been impressive, and Thiago coming in is huge for them, he is top class. I will go for Liverpool here, as their front three is just too strong for most teams, and Arsenal still need to improve in defence."
Mark Lawrenson (BBC): 2-0
"Thiago came into the Liverpool side for his debut against Chelsea and bossed things without even having a sweat on. He looked quite a player. I'd expect the Reds to dominate possession in this game too, and I still worry about Arsenal when they don't have the ball.
"Yes, the Gunners beat Liverpool in July, but that was just after Jurgen Klopp's side had clinched the title. I wouldn't take anything from that game as a suggestion Arsenal could do it again because Liverpool were not playing at anything like 100%. They will be this time, though."
Michael Owen (BetVictor): 3-2
"There is a real positivity surrounding both clubs at the moment and this could well be the season when Arsenal return to their once customary place in the Champions League.
"Liverpool will have their sights set on retaining their Premier League title and with both teams having taken six points out of six this term, I think this is going to be an absolute cracker to round off Matchday 3.
"Both teams have shown a vulnerability in defence so far this season and I see that trend continuing on Monday night. Historically, fixtures between these two sides have resulted in goals aplenty and I don’t see that changing this time around.
"I’m going for a memorable game, full of attacking threat, and a 3-2 victory for Jurgen Klopp’s men."
🗣️ Quotes from managers
Mikel Arteta (HaytersTV@Youtube) on how to beat Liverpool
"Well, first of all you need a really [good] individual performance by all of them [players]. You need certain luck, that’s for sure, in moments in the game, and then you have to be so consistent in everything you do throughout 96 minutes because in any moment they can open you up and you can get exposed. That you never give up. That’s another thing that is crucial against them.
"And then you have to expect them to be at their best. If you’re always expecting that then the level of attention is higher, focus is higher and you are more determined in every ball. Against them that’s key.
"Obviously we have to try to find ways how we can hurt them and positionally create problems for them but as well being very realistic and cautious that this is exactly as well what they’re trying to do.
"This is how they break a lot of teams down: when you feel comfortable with a little bit of space doing those things and the next minute you are punished and you are a goal down. It’s a really important balance and awareness that you have to handle during games against them."
Jurgen Klopp (official website)
"Mikel Arteta has shown in a pretty short period of time that he seems to be an exceptional football manager. The structure of the team is absolutely exceptional," Klopp said.
"You can see the balance between defence and offence is really good. There's good organisation, freedom for the players and he uses the players in the right position.
"Since he's been there, he's done a pretty impressive job, changed the whole mood in the club. I don't think a lot of people thought he would have won any competition, but he did that by winning the FA Cup and also the English 'Super Cup' [the Community Shield].
"That’s pretty impressive. So it's a tough, tough opponent. They defend properly, all the players are involved. They defend in a 5-4-1 which is a pretty tricky situation. I can say a lot of positive things about Arsenal because it's true, but I think we still have a chance on Monday night."
