Arsenal kick off their Premier League campaign with a mouth-watering clash against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon. Finishing second last term, the Gunners faithful will again be hopeful about a title challenge and Arsene Wenger would want to hit the ground running soon. It would be an unusual start for Arsenal without an injury crisis but even Arsene Wenger must be taken aback at the number of injuries his squad has at present. At this early stage of the campaign, Wenger does not have a fully-fit defender to call upon, with Laurent Koscielny likely to be rushed back to hold Liverpool’s formidable attack at bay.
Liverpool look nearly as light as Arsenal in defensive areas but Jurgen Klopp’s side begin the season on a high. Liverpool’s transfer business is largely complete and their pre-season form has been exceptional at times, culminating in an electrifying 4-0 demolition of Barcelona at Wembley but were consequently brought to ground after losing by the same score to the Bundesliga outfit Mainz.
In a game massively hit by injuries to both sides, Arsene Wenger will be without several key injuries, which could force him to field weaker side for the clash. Mesut Ozil has just returned for preseason, it is unlikely that he will feature from the start. While Per Mertesacker, Gabriel Paulista, and Danny Welbeck are still recovering from their respective long-term injuries. Even Wilshere will be missing out on the match on Sunday after he picked up a minor injury in a preseason game last week.
Liverpool are leading the injury list with as many as eight first-team players expected to miss the trip to the Emirates Stadium on Sunday. Marko Gruijic, Dejan Lovren, James Milner, Daniel Sturridge, Alberto Moreno, Divock Origi, Joe Gomez and Loris Karius are sidelined for the Arsenal game. The new summer signings Sadio Mane, Georginio Wijnaldum and Ragnar Klavan are set to start, while Matip could come in if Lovren fails to pass a late fitness test on time.
Liverpool: Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Klavan, Moreno, Can, Wijnaldum, Lallana, Coutinho, Firmino and Mane.
Arsenal: Cech, Bellerin, Chambers, Monreal, Holding, Xhaka, Coquelin, Theo Walcott, Cazorla, Chamberlain and Sanchez.
Predicted Score: Liverpool – Arsenal: 1-1