Premier League football is back following the international break and this weekend’s stand out fixture sees Liverpool welcome Arsenal to Anfield at 5.30pm on Saturday evening.
The Gunners head to Merseyside in terrific form having extended their unbeaten run to 10 games in all competitions following a 1-0 victory over Watford at the Emirates Stadium two weeks ago.
Mikel Arteta has turned things around as, after losing their first three games of the new season, Arsenal now sit fifth in the table and can leapfrog Liverpool into the top four with victory this weekend.
However, wins are hard to come by for visiting teams at Anfield as Liverpool are formidable on home soil so Arteta knows his side are facing a tough test on Saturday evening.
Liverpool will also be determined to get back on track following a disappointing 3-2 defeat away to West Ham before the international break and Jurgen Klopp knows his team cannot afford to lose too much ground on the leaders.
Betting odds
Understandably, given their excellent home record, the bookies have Liverpool priced as favourites to win on Saturday with many bookmakers offering odds of around 2/5 on a home victory.
However, some may fancy backing an in-form Arsenal side to cause an upset at Anfield and the Gunners are priced at 11/2 to claim all three points. The draw could also be tempting at odds of 15/4.
- Liverpool win 2/5
- Draw 15/4
- Arsenal 11/2
Mane fit
Liverpool are expecting Sadio Mane to shake-off a minor rib issue to start on Saturday and the Senegal attacker is 4/1 to open the scoring in this match. Mohamed Salah is in sensational form so he’ll be a popular bet at 13/5 but Mane is also a great shout as first scorer if you want a little more value.
Both teams to score is also a decent bet in this game and you can back that outcome at odds of 4/7. Over 2.5 match goals is another solid bet at odds of 4/9.
- Both teams to score 4/7
- Over 2.5 match goals 4/9
Elsewhere for Liverpool, Roberto Firmino is out with a thigh injury so he remains on the sidelines with Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott. Andrew Robertson is a major doubt with a thigh problem while Naby Keita could also miss out with a hamstring issue. Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Joe Gomez all face late fitness tests so Klopp has plenty of injuries to worry about.
Partey a doubt
Arsenal will need to assess the fitness of Thomas Partey as he’s still carrying a groin injury and his absence would be a real blow for the Londoners. Granit Xhaka is already missing with a serious knee injury so Ainsley Maitland-Niles could start alongside Albert Sambi Lokonga in midfield.
However, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been declared fit and available for selection despite reports he returned home early from international duty with an injury issue.
Prediction
Arsenal should be able to give a good account of themselves at Anfield as Arteta is building a young, exciting team. However, Liverpool are already the real deal and are extremely hard to beat on home soil.
If Salah and Mane are firing on all cylinders then it’s difficult to see anything other than a Liverpool win and Arsenal have struggled at Anfield in recent years so we’re backing the Merseysiders to edge it this weekend.
Liverpool 2-1 Arsenal
