12 hours ago
2
Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard, who was injured in the Gunners' win over Leeds United last weekend, is fit enough to make the bench at Anfield for the huge clash with Liverpool.
Star forward Bukayo Saka is set to be sidelined for a number of weeks with a hamstring injury while Kai Havertz is also missing. But Mikel Arteta is able to call upon the former Crystal Palace ace Eberechi Eze, who was signed for a fee of around $91 million (£68 million) last week, and he is named among the subs too.
Arsenal lines up with David Raya in goal and a back four of Jurrien Timber, Gabriel Saliba, Gabriel and Riccardo Calafiori. Martin Zubimendi, Declan Rice and Mikel Merino are in midfield.
Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli are on either side of Viktor Gyokeres. Leandro Trossard and Ethan Nwaneri are among the attacking options on the Arsenal bench, alongside 15-year-old Max Dowman.
Arteta was asked about Eze during his pre-match press conference. "Really impressed with him," he said. "I heard a lot of things about him, I spoke to a lot of people about him. Really bright, very special energy, a special aura around him and he's really willing.
"He's already gathered a lot of information on the things that we want to see on the pitch.
"But especially, making sure that he has the freedom and the capacity to express his quality, which is the reason why we brought him here.
"We have options in that position and that's a good thing that we have this year. Let's see, as I said, another day and I'm not going to give you any clues, obviously [about whether he was going to start].
"We have a lot of players now that can play in different positions and they can fill gaps when we have them. Looking at the start of the season that we have already had with injuries, that's going to be very necessary.
"So I'm very happy to have the ability to do that. I think when you are next to him, you are comfortable. He's got a big smile. He picks teams apart.
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
"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."
On the Liverpool game specifically, Arteta added: "A very important one. We want to continue building the momentum that we are in right now.
"Going to those grounds, those stadiums, against this kind of opposition is what we want and coming away from those big games, winning in a really convincing way. That's the objective."
Arsenal starting XI: Raya; Timber, Gabriel, Saliba, Calafiori; Zubimendi, Merino, Rice; Madueke, Martinelli, Gyokeres. Subs: Arrizabalaga, Mosquera, Odegaard, Eze, Trossard, Nwaneri, Lewis-Skelly, Dowman, Harriman-Annous.
English (US) ·