Liverpool vs Arsenal: two of the league's best go head-to-head at Anfield in Saturday's Premier League evening kick-off, with at least one side's 100% start to the 2019/20 campaign set to evaporate by full-time. Billed as a game of the season contender despite still being in August, the European champions host last season's Europa League finalists where we'll get an early sense of their Premier League title credentials.
Both have started with similar wins: Liverpool thrashed newly-promoted Norwich on opening night, while earning a hard-fought away win at Southampton last weekend. Arsenal were the opposite way around, grinding out an away victory against an unpredictable Newcastle before oozing class on home soil at Burnley's expense last time out.
Given their poor away record on Merseyside, it's understandable the Gunners are not heavily fancied to win. Even armed with a fearsome attacking force and Liverpool missing first-choice goalkeeper Alisson Becker (calf), serious questions will be asked of Unai Emery's side after their best league start for over a decade. Despite injury issues and questions over their defensive susceptibility, Jurgen Klopp will be quietly confident recent history repeats itself with a morale-boosting home victory.
Kickoff Information
Date: 24th August 2019
Time: 5:30PM (UK time)
Venue: Anfield
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Live Stream: Hotstar
Form Guide
The last five fixtures including friendlies -
Liverpool: WDWDW
Arsenal: WWDLD
Betting odds (Bet365):
Liverpool: 9/20
Draw: 15/4
Arsenal: 11/2
First goalscorer
Mohamed Salah: 3/1
Sadio Mane: 4/1
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: 7/1
Alexandre Lacazette: 9/1
Head to Head
Liverpool: 87
Arsenal: 78
Draw: 61
Key Match Facts
The Reds are unbeaten in eight league meetings against the Gunners, a record which stretches back to August 2015. During their most recent meeting last December, Roberto Firmino netted a hat-trick as Liverpool thrashed Arsenal 5-1.
No fixture has featured more goals than the whopping 155 in 54 meetings between the two sides. A record-high six hat-tricks scored in the top-flight, 27-year-old Firmino is the only active player with a treble to his name and could become the first Brazilian to score 50 league goals should he net again this weekend.
Should they win, Klopp's men will match their all-time club record of 12 successive league victories, which was set from April to October in 1990. Arsenal meanwhile, will be looking to win their first three games of a top-flight season for the ninth time in their history - but the first time since 2004/05, where they ultimately finished second behind Chelsea.