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Preview: Arsenal v Liverpool, team news, line-ups & prediction

By on August 13, 2016

Premier League football finally returns as Arsenal play host to Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

We may have finished second last season and above Tottenham, Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea but it was still a hugely frustrating campaign having missed out on the title to Leicester.

This year promises to be as though as ever with the Manchester clubs having new managers and spending hundreds of millions, while Liverpool and Chelsea will be threats in the league with no European football to worry about.

Arsenal fans are heading in to the season in despondent mood with just one major signing arriving and the squad already decimated by a series of injuries to key men.

The squad is still short at least two top class players if we want to be serious challengers this season, but it’s time to stop the moaning and concentrate on football.

Team News

Wenger has decided against rushing Koscielny back too soon as he’s only been in training for a week while Gabriel has joined Mertesacker on the sidelines with a serious injury.

Chambers is therefore expected to start while 20-year-old Holding could be handed his competitive debut in the middle of defence.

Wilshere isn’t fit after missing the last few pre-season games with a knee injury while Ozil and Giroud are also lacking match fitness so aren’t in contention.

With Welbeck also on the sidelines for the foreseeable future, Walcott or Sanchez will start up front while Xhaka is set to make his Premier League debut in midfield.

Liverpool have some injury problems of their own as Sturridge has been ruled out with a hip injury while Milner is also a major doubt with a heel problem.

Sakho, Karius, Gomez and Leiva are all out but Mane and Klaven should make their debuts.

Preferred line-up:

How Liverpool could line-up: Mignolet, Clyne, Lovren, Klaven, Moreno, Can, Henderson, Firmino, Coutinho, Mane, Origi.

Prediction

Despite our troubles with a lack of signings and injury issues, we’ve actually looked pretty good in pre-season and a 3-2 win over Man City last weekend isn’t to be sniffed at. Liverpool showed their inconsistency after thrashing Barca before losing to Mainz by the same scoreline. We’ll no doubt make life hard for ourselves but I fancy us to edge it 2-1 tomorrow.

What team would you start for the game? Confident of getting a result?