2.5pts Under 2.5 goals at 19/20 (Unibet)
1.5pts Draw at 12/5 (General)
1pt No Goalscorer at 12/1 (Sky Bet)
"Making your own luck".
Quite a skill, and one Arne Slot seems to have brought with him as Liverpool manager.
It's certainly fortune well-earned, with the Reds winning 11 of their 12 matches under the Dutchman, conceding just four goals in the process, but having benefited from a favourable fixture list which saw Slot face just one of last season's top eight in his opening seven Premier League fixtures, meetings with Chelsea and now Arsenal have also fallen at a favourable time.
Two of Chelsea's three ever-present defenders were suspended last weekend, which eventually led to Enzo Maresca using six different ones (and a handful of different players at full-back) during their 2-1 defeat.
For this Super Sunday clash at The Emirates they face an Arsenal side in the midst of an availability crisis.
How will Saliba's absence impact Arsenal? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/vcl7R52xTA
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 24, 2024
The suspension of William Saliba following his red card at Bournemouth leaves the Gunners without him for the first time since 2022/23. It's likely to dominate the build-up given how keenly they feel his absence, with Arsenal's win rate dropping from 74% to 45% and goals conceded increasing from 0.8 to 1.6 per game when the Frenchman doesn't play.
Fellow defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Jurrien Timber may also miss out through injury, with Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu definitely doing so.
But Arsenal's problems extend further up the pitch too.
Captain Martin Odegaard remains sidelined and Bukayo Saka is another player who looks unlikely to return to fitness in time.
Liverpool haven't beaten Arsenal in their last four attempts, and while the circumstances make it hard to imagine them having a better opportunity to do so, the dynamic of the game may in fact make it a touch less likely.
Given these issues it should come as no surprise that Mikel Arteta admitted his players looked tired in their laboured 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday.
While the Arsenal manager would never admit it, escaping from Sunday's game with a DRAW would be an excellent result, which is what makes the 12/1 about NO GOALSCORER appeal greatly, as does the 12/5 about the match ending level.
It might feel as though given their list of defensive absentees that Arsenal will struggle to keep a clean sheet, but it is that very disruption to their defence that makes it more likely Arteta will set them up in a structure to make it difficult for Liverpool to play through them.
In Declan Rice, Thomas Partey, Jorginho and Mikel Merino there are strong choices in central midfield to make this a turgid, unpleasant game for the visitors, and with Slot's team far more measured than the side he inherited it's unlikely we'll see much blood and thunder in north London on Sunday.
Of Liverpool's 12 fixtures in all competitions, only two haven't gone under 3.5 goals, with half seeing UNDER 2.5 GOALS, including three of their last four games.
A low-event, low-scoring draw not only suits Arteta, but Slot too; W7 D1 L1 wouldn't be the worst start to the season.
Apologies for failing to whet the appetite for a thrill-a-minute clash in the same vein as last weekend's Anfield encounter.
I just can't see it, with a repeat of the arm-wrestles we witnessed between Arsenal and Manchester City last season - two matches that saw one goal and a combined 2.55 expected goals (xG) - the most likely outcome.
So let's all cheer on the 0-0.
Arsenal are without the suspended Saliba after his red card against Bournemouth. It's unlikely Saka will recover in time having missed their past two matches, and Calafiori is a major doubt after limping off in the midweek win over Shakhtar.
Timber, who has not played since October 1, is another unlikely to feature. Tierney, Odegaard and Tomiyasu all remain sidelined.
Liverpool striker Diogo Jota missed victory in Leipzig after injuring his ribs against Chelsea. Conor Bradley and Federico Chiesa are expected to once again miss out along with Alisson and Harvey Elliott.
Andy Robertson, Curtis Jones and Luis Diaz are pushing to start after coming off the bench in midweek.
Arsenal: Raya; White, Kiwior, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Rice, Jorginho, Merino; Trossard, Havertz, Sterling.
Liverpool: Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Salah, Jones, Diaz; Nunez.
Odds correct at 1200 BST (25/10/24)
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