Liverpool v Arsenal Match Result
Do Liverpool have a greater or lesser than 50% chance of winning this football match? This is the question that needs to be asked when they clash with Arsenal on Sunday. The Reds are currently trading at even money to land a second consecutive home victory, having defeated Bournemouth 4-2 in the Premier League curtain-raiser?
Arne Slot’s side look full of goals on early evidence. They have several dangerous attacking players, with Hugo Ekitike and Cody Gakpo having already opened their account. Mohamed Salah was also on the scoresheet against the Cherries and there’s the marauding threat of Florian Wirtz, with Arsenal having a lot with which to contend.
Liverpool won fourteen of their nineteen matches at Anfield last season. They were held to a draw on four occasions and lost one against Nottingham Forest. However, Arsenal only tasted defeat on the road twice last term, winning nine of their nineteen clashes away from the Emirates and drawing on eight different occasions.
Both of the games between Liverpool and Arsenal ended in a draw last season. In October, Bukayo Saka and Mikel Merino put the Gunners into the lead on two separate occasions at the Emirates only for goals from Virgil van Dijk and Salah to restore parity each time.
On 11 May with Liverpool having already bagged the title, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz scored in quick first-half succession only for Gabriel Martinelli and Merino to rescue a point for the visitors. However, that was a game where the champions had already sealed the title and they might be more focused this time around.
The big question is whether Liverpool can defend well enough to win the game. Slot will have seen that Arsenal put five goals past Leeds and also kept two clean sheets. There might be a concern about the home side’s defensive frailties after shipping two goals against Palace and Bournemouth.
Goals Under/Over
Despite Arsenal having achieved two clean sheets to date, the Premier League betting sites make it marginally more likely that we’ll see Over 2.5 Goals compared to Under 2.5 Goals. The Gunners began their campaign with a 1-0 victory at Old Trafford thanks to a Riccardo Calafiori headed effort and they then put Leeds to the sword by winning 5-0.
It was a straightforward win at the Emirates although it’s a tall order to stop Liverpool at Anfield. They might have to meet fire with fire and the team selection could be interesting in terms of the goal output. Perhaps this is the game where Eberechi Eze is given his debut and the former Crystal Palace man could cause problems for the Liverpool defence.
It’s also interesting to see whether Viktor Gyokeres can get any change from Virgil van Dijk who is widely regarded as the best central defender in the Premier League.
BTTS
Based on the fact that the two teams played out a 2-2 draw at the Emirates and Anfield last season, perhaps there’s some value in taking the 1.70 that we see both teams find the net here. The previous six encounters between Liverpool and Arsenal have involved BTTS Yes and that is a telling stat for punters considering a bet on this outcome.
Two seasons ago, Arsenal beat Liverpool 3-1 at the Emirates after a 1-1 draw at Anfield. Previously to this, there were two high-scoring encounters during the 2022/23 season where we saw an Arsenal 3-2 victory in October before a 2-2 draw on 9 April. Indeed, you might want to consider this outcome on the correct score market.
We know that Liverpool will be on the front foot. It’s also the case that Arsenal can’t sit on their haunches and defend for the whole game. They should pose an attacking threat and we assume that Bukayo Saka will return to the team despite that injury. There’s an inkling that the England man might have had no more than cramp against Leeds.
First Goalscorer
There are lots of potential contenders when it comes to First Goalscorer at Anfield. Mohamed Salah is on penalties for the home side and has been installed as the favourite to break the deadlock. The Egyptian was the top scorer in the Premier League last term and he’s been a regular tormentor of Arsenal over the past few seasons.
Hugo Ekitike is a livewire of a forward who has hit the ground running since arriving at Anfield and he should earn a start in the centre forward position. Cody Gakpo also offers a lively threat and perhaps this is the game where Florian Wirtz breaks his Anfield duck, with the German sure to become a crowd favourite.
Much depends on whether Bukayo Saka recovers from injury, with Viktor Gyokeres showing the ability to be a flat-track bully against Leeds. The Swede will look to get on the end of any chances, although some will be interested in the price of Eberechi Eze who could be pitched into battle from the start.
We shouldn’t underestimate the ability of Arsenal scoring goals from corners. There’s Gabriel who will surely open his account soon and there’s the added threat of William Saliba and Riccardo Calafiori. Then there’s Jurrien Timber who has scored two goals already this season in one appearance.