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Arsenal seek to expose Liverpool fragility at Anfield
Martyn Herman •  August 29th, 2025 7:51 am
Liverpool's 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha became an overnight sensation with his goal against Newcastle | Photo: AP
Late summer blockbuster, early title skirmish, clash of the big spenders - call it what you will, but Sunday's showdown between champions Liverpool and Arsenal could shape the Premier League narrative for the long months ahead.
Autumn is still a way off and both sides will have 35 games more to play after the dust settles at Anfield but the chance to land an early psychological uppercut on a main title rival will be forefront in the minds of Arne Slot and Mikel Arteta.
Both sides have taken maximum points from their opening two games but the manner in which they have achieved that makes Sunday's (Monday 3.30am NZST) meeting all the more intriguing.
Liverpool's Hugo Ekitike has made an impressive start to life at Anfield | Photo: AP
Liverpool have banged in seven goals in two games but their new recruits have had mixed starts and defensively they have looked unusually vulnerable with four goals conceded.
Hugo Ekitike has hit the ground running, scoring in the wins against Bournemouth and Monday's rip-roaring and rather fortuitous 3-2 victory at Newcastle United.
But 116 million pound (NZ$266.3 million) signing Florian Wirtz is still adjusting to the sheer pace and physicality of England's top flight while new left back Milos Kerkez has struggled.
In contrast, Arsenal have been watertight at the back, enjoying two clean sheets and their new-look forward line spearheaded by Viktor Gyokeres sparked into life in the 5-0 thrashing of Leeds United last week.
Arsenal's lack of heavy-metal firepower has been identified as the reason they've finished second in a succession of two-horse Premier League title races and a fair chunk of the 250 million pound (NZ$574 million) invested in the summer has been to address that.
The capture of Sweden international Gyokeres, together with last week's audacious swoop for Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze have given manager Arteta a plethora of attacking options.
So much so that injuries to Bukayo Saka, Kai Havertz and Martin Odegaard, which would normally be met with doom and gloom, do not feel as damaging, even ahead of a trip to Anfield where Liverpool have not lost a league game for almost a year.
Gyokeres, the true 'number nine' Arsenal fans have been calling for, scored a brace in the win against Leeds.
Arsenal's Max Dowman made a striking debut against Leeds at just 15 years of age | Photo: AP
Both teams also have brilliant youthful talent at their disposal, with Liverpool still celebrating the maiden goal of the 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha against Newcastle while Arsenal were thrilled at the debut of 15-year-old Max Dowman against Leeds.
Both league games between the sides ended in 2-2 draws last season -- the first one at the Emirates in October when Arsenal twice led and the second in May when Arsenal's players gave the title winners a guard of honour at Anfield.
Tottenham, the only other side to win both their opening games, will seek to maintain their perfect start under new manager Thomas Frank at home to Bournemouth on Saturday.
Manchester City, beaten 2-0 at home by Spurs, travel to Brighton on Sunday while Chelsea are up against local rivals Fulham at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The season is less than three weeks old but Manchester United's plight is already an underlying theme.
Winless so far in the Premier League, they suffered a humiliating League Cup defeat at fourth-tier Grimsby on Wednesday and the pressure on manager Ruben Amorim to get a result at home to promoted Burnley on Saturday is enormous.
- Reuters
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