Probably the standout fixture of the opening weekend of the Premier League, Arsenal against Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium promises to be an exciting game to watch.

Team News-

Arsenal

Worryingly for the Gunners, an acute defensive crisis has left Arsene Wenger with a dilemma. Long term injuries to Per Mertesacker and Gabriel mean that Rob Holding is likely to start with Calum Chambers. Laurent Koscielny has just recently returned to first team training after his exploits in the Euros and will be short on match fitness as confirmed by Wenger. Mesut Ozil and Olivier Giroud similarly have also just started training and will, in all probability, miss the game.

Liverpool

Liverpool have a strong squad with no major injuries to deal with albeit Loris Karius who will be out for a while with a broken hand. James Milner and Daniel Sturridge however may miss the game with Klopp mentioning his concern about neither of them taking a big part in pre-season with heel and hip injuries respectively. They face fitness tests before the game but it will be unlikely to see either of them being risked.

Predicted Lineups

Arsenal- Cech, Bellerin, Holding, Chambers, Monreal, Elneny, Xhaka, Oxlade Chamberlain, Ramsey, Iwobi and Walcott.

Liverpool- Mignolet, Clyne, Klavan, Lovren, Moreno, Can, Henderson, Wijnaldum, Coutinho, Mane and Firmino.

Key Battles

Granit Xhaka vs Emre Can

Definitely a key battle in the middle of the park, Xhaka and Can are both extremely physical players capable of shielding their defenses. Xhaka remains Arsenal’s star signing of the summer and big things are expected from the powerful Swiss. Emre Can has been in the Premier League for two seasons now and is more than adept in dealing with the physicality. It will be interesting to see which midfielder has a better game.

Alex Iwobi vs Sadio Mane

Nigerian Alex Iwobi was Arsenal’s breakout star last term and will be looking to cement a first team place. Impressive in pre-season, young Iwobi has all the ingredients to be a top winger and his finishing skills have also improved greatly. His Liverpool counterpart Mane recently transferred to Merseyside from Southampton and will be looking to impress. Pacey and powerful, Mane could even be played up front or on the wings which give him an element of versatility.

Rob Holding vs Ragnar Klavan

Two new signings in the hearts of both defenses. The pressure will be on both men to have a solid game on their Premier League debuts. Holding who is regarded as a bright prospect recently arrived from Bolton and looked solid and composed in pre-season. Liverpool signed Klavan from Augsburg and his experience could mean a solid game for the Latvian.

Prediction

Considering Arsenal’s defensive crisis, it looks like Liverpool may find it easy to score. However, Arsenal at home are a daunting prospect even with injuries. Alex Oxlade Chamberlain and Iwobi have also been in good pre-season form. Liverpool, if they play to their full potential, could very easily walk away with 3 points. Phillip Coutinho and Sadio Mane on form will be imperative for Liverpool along with the flair of Roberto Firmino. However, Arsenal’s performance all depends on how the partnership of Holding and Chambers works at center-back.

Both the encounters between Arsenal and Liverpool last season in the English Premier League ended in a draw. A scoreless one at the Emirates and a thrilling 3-3 at Anfield earlier this year.

Prediction:- A 0-0 draw