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Arsenal and Liverpool prepare to lock horns at the Wembley Stadium, with the FA Community Shield up for grabs in what is the official curtain raiser for the 2020-21 Premier League season. Both sides will be eager to get their hands on silverware to kick off their league campaigns, as the game promises to be an exciting affair between two sides that have a rich history in English football.
Arsenal ended an eventful 2019-20 season by beating arch-rivals Chelsea to the FA Cup, having secured a 2-1 victory over their neighbours to give Mikel Arteta his first trophy as a top-flight manager.
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Liverpool, on the other hand, were in devastating form right from the get-go and won the Premier League title by a staggering margin of 18 points over second-placed Manchester City, as Jurgen Klopp's relentless Reds ended the club's 30-year wait for the prize in some style.
Having been beaten to the FA Community Shield by Manchester City last year, Liverpool will also look to secure revenge against Arsenal for their 2-1 defeat in the Premier League since the restart.
Both sides could ring the changes with their lineups, as they look to integrate new signings and hand rare starts to their younger players.
Arsenal v Liverpool Head-to-Head
Only Manchester United (21) have won the Community Shield more times than Liverpool and Arsenal (15) over the years. Klopp's side have been crowned champions of Europe, England and the world over the past 14 months and could look to add more silverware to their ranks to start the season on a positive note.
Liverpool have lost just one of their last ten meetings against Arsenal in all competitions; a 2-1 Premier League defeat at the Emirates Stadium in July. The Reds have the upper hand against Arsenal since Klopp took charge and have beaten the Gunners six times in ten outings against them under the German.
Arsenal v Liverpool Team News
Arsenal
Arsenal have several players on the treatment table, with the likes of Calum Chambers, Pablo Mari, Gabriel Martinelli and Shkodran Mustafi nursing long-term injuries.
However, its not all doom and gloom for the Gunners, who are set to announce the capture of Lille's Gabriel Magalhaes in the coming days and are edging closer to extending Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's contract. Arteta has also been boosted by the return of Bernd Leno, who could return to the starting XI at the expense of Emiliano Martinez.
Summer signing Willian could make his debut for the club, having crossed the London divide to join Arsenal on a free transfer from Chelsea. William Saliba is also in line to make his first appearance in a competitive fixture for the Gunners, as the French youngster looks to make a good first impression at the club.
Injuries: Calum Chambers, Pablo Mari, Gabriel Martinelli, Shkodran Mustafi
Doubtful: None
Suspensions: None
Liverpool
Liverpool also have a few concerns with regard to injuries, as the likes of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jordan Henderson and Joel Matip have not featured in pre-season so far. However, the former is fit once again and should be in the squad for the trip to Wembley, with Neco Williams set to deputize for him at right-back.
Henderson has also stepped up his return to the side, but the Liverpool captain is unlikely to be risked prematurely, as he continues to recover from a knee injury. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Harry Wilson, Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri have also had their pre-seasons disrupted due to injuries, and the trio are expected to be sidelined once again.
New signing Kostas Tsimikas has made quite the impression since joining the club from Olympiacos and could be set to make his competitive debut for the club, while teenage striker Rhian Brewster is also in the running for a place in the starting XI.
Injuries: Jordan Henderson, Joel Matip, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Doubtful: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Divock Origi, Xherdan Shaqiri
Suspensions: None
Arsenal v Liverpool Predicted XIs
Arsenal Predicted XI (3-4-3): Bernd Leno; William Saliba, David Luiz, Kieran Tierney; Cedric Soares, Granit Xhaka, Joe Willock, Ainsley Maitland-Niles; Bukayo Saka, Eddie Nketiah, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Liverpool Predicted XI (4-3-3): Alisson Becker; Neco Williams, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Fabinho, Gini Wijnaldum, James Milner; Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane
Arsenal v Liverpool Prediction
Both managers could look to make a handful of changes to their usual lineups, as they look to evaluate their players before the commencement of the 2020-21 Premier League season. Arsenal got the better of Liverpool last month and the Reds will be out for revenge, as they look to add the Community Shield to their growing trophy cabinet in the Klopp era.
We could see plenty of goals in the game, with Liverpool eventually recording a narrow victory due to their strength in depth.
Prediction: Arsenal 2-3 Liverpool
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