21 hours ago
4
Liverpool and Arsenal have not had to wait long to renew acquaintances. First and second last season, and off the back of busy summers, each will get a chance to lay down a marker in just the third match of the new Premier League campaign.
Early signs are that the two may once again be doing battle at the top. It's far too soon to rule out any of the other potential candidates, but Manchester City and Chelsea have both already suffered chastening results against last seasons's 17th and 12th placed finishers respectively, denting any preseason optimism.
Arsenal, by contrast, has begun the season with two wins, although the convincing 5-0 rout of Leeds may have come at a significant cost. It could mean that Mikel Arteta takes on Arne Slot at Anfield without as many as five important performers.
One player who will definitely miss out is Bukayo Saka. He limped off in that fixture holding onto his hamstring, always a worry for a player with an increasingly patchy record in that department.
In the end, the prognosis could have been worse, with Saka set to miss about a month of football. A good chunk of that spell on the sidelines will be absorbed by the international break.
But it will rule him out of the Liverpool game. And in spite of Arteta's summer splurge, Arsenal still looks a little light in forward areas, leaving a question mark over where the inspiration may come from in his absence.
Ordinarily, Martin Odegaard would be a prime candidate to step up. But he, too, is a potential casualty of the Leeds game.
Odegaard was forced off in the first half with a shoulder injury, after attempting to play on. A subsequent scan has confirmed that the issue is not serious, but Arsenal is yet to receive a definitive green light on the captain's availability for the Liverpool clash.
(His absence would be especially keenly felt given his apparent ability to handle the ball in the box with impunity when playing at Anfield.)
Kai Havertz and Gabriel Jesus, meanwhile, join Saka in the "definitely out" column. They are both sidelined by long-term injuries, although the Brazilian did recently make a return to the grass.
Amid this potential dearth of attacking options, new signing Eberechi Eze has the chance to take center stage. An impact against Liverpool would certainly endear him to his new fans, although his one goal in eight appearances against the Reds suggests the odds are not stacked in his favor.
Another new recruit, Christian Norgaard, completes the quintet of Arsenal players who are either out of the Liverpool game or in a race against time. The summer signing from Brentford missed the Leeds match, and will be touch and go for a competitive debut at Anfield.
Arteta ruled him out for "another week or so" prior to the Leeds game. So that call could come down to the wire.
Liverpool, for its part, is also missing one of its summer signings until after the international break, with Jeremie Frimpong having picked up an issue. Conor Bradley should hopefully be fit to return against Arsenal.
English (US) ·