Liverpool v Arsenal betting preview: Free Premier League betting tips, latest odds, team news, stats, TV & kick-off times

Recommended bets

1pt Liverpool to beat Arsenal & both teams to score at 9/5

1pt Roberto Firmino to score anytime at 23/10

1pt A penalty to be scored at 5/2

For details of advised bookmakers and each-way terms, visit our transparent tipping record

Liverpool v Arsenal

• 8pm BST kick-off on Sky Sports
• Match odds: Home 1/2 | Draw 18/5 | Away 5/1

Both sides have started 2-0 this season, with the champions winning that barnburner against Leeds before bossing ten-man Chelsea, and Arsenal downing newcomers Fulham before edging out West Ham.

The big question, though, is whether Mikel Arteta is actually Jurgen Klopp's Kryptonite - has he found the answer to stopping this mighty red machine that has bascially rolled over everyone over the last couple of seasons? Back-to-back wins over the Reds suggest the Gunners may just be growing into the role of bogey team.

Due to the stupidly congested football calendar, this is the first of two matches this week between them, with the Carabao Cup to tie follow on Thursday - maybe this should be a winner-takes-all and let the teams have a night off?

The two fixtures will be a great yardstick for Arteta to see exactly where his team stands in their development, and whether they can go toe-to-toe with the champions on their own patch - where they've been utterly dominant, and without a league loss since April 2017.

Arsenal have been put to the sword at Anfield over the last few years, but Arteta's new formula of sitting back and trying to pinch the points may give them more of a chance this time around.

Looking at those last two wins for Arsenal against Liverpool, they had just 31 and 40 percent possession and mustered just four shots on target across the two games. They didn't fall into the ole Arsenal trap of trying to attack the Reds - something they'd done at Anfield when matching and even twice edging the possession stats yet coming away with 3-1, 5-1 and 4-0 defeats.

Arteta has surely learned that if Arsenal come out and play against Liverpool they'll get well beaten. It's a temptation he must not succombe to even with the Reds having a few big injury problems with Jordan Henderson out and doubts over Thiago and Alisson.

Goals the norm in this fixture

Both teams usally find the net here, 14 of the last 16 have converted for BTTS backers, including the last seven, while 10 of the last 12 league meetings have contained over 2.5 goals, and nine of those have gone even further with at least four goals involved.

Over 2.5 goals in therefore an unsurprisingly prohibative 1/2, while over 3.5 no doubt being popular at 5/4

Goals have also been flowing in recent Liverpool home games too, with an average of almost 4.5 in their last eight Premier League games at Anfield while in their last seven home league games with Arsenal they've won five, drawn two and scored 25.

All the stats point to a Liverpool win with, but at the odds the majority of those backing a home win will roll it up with either both teams to score (9/5) or over 2.5 goals (evens) and over 3.5 goals (2/1) given the nature of this fixture.

Penalties have been a theme of the weekend and the new season as a whole, with VAR and the new handball rules causing confusion but also leading the penalties being given left-right and centre. The Gunners gave away three pens in six awaygames against last season's to six sides, including one at Anfield.

Put a razor-shapr Mo Salah with this Arsenal defence and throw in those handball rules and 15/8 on there being a spot-kick in this game will certainly appeal - as will 3/1 on the home side being awarded a penalty.

Firmino to find his scoring touch

Salah being on the pens help reduce his goalscorer price to 5/6 but maybe this could be the game for Roberto Firmino to find his scoring touch again at 23/10. The Brazilian has scored more against Arsenal than anyone else with eight - and seven of them have come at Anfield.

Last season was the first time in five Anfield league starts against Arsenal that Firmino had failed to score - and even then he hit the post! So in those five games he's scored in four, all of which have been Liverpool's first goal of the game and three of those the first scorer in the match.

He's 7/1 to score the first goal of the game, but given his record you may even play it a bit safer and take the 5/1 on him being Liverpool's first scorer in case the Gunners get off to a flying start.

A goal has been coming as well, Firmino really should have scored against Leeds on the opening day, he had a shot on target and an assist against Chelsea and in the Community Shield against Arsenal he had two shots and two key passes so was well involved.

He's due a goal and it's amazing home many times players get a liking for playing one particular team, Arsenal could be just what Firmino needs to find the net again.

Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal (Sky Bet odds: 9/1)

Best bets:

Liverpool to beat Arsenal & both teams to score at 9/5

Roberto Firmino to score anytime at 23/10

A penalty to be scored at 5/2

Liverpool v Arsenal team news

Liverpool skipper Jordan Henderson is definitely out but Joe Gomez has returned to training and should be fit enough to slot back in alongside Virgil van Dijk. That could be crucial for Fabinho to then return to midfield with Thiago Alcantara facing a late fitness test.

Goalkeeper Alisson will also have a late check after missing training and he'd be another big loss if he has to be replaced by Adrian.

Kieran Tierney should be available for Arsenal after he missed last week's late win over West Ham after pulling up in the pre-game warm-ups with a tight groin.

Liverpool v Arsenal Opta stats

• Liverpool have won their last four home league games against Arsenal – they’ve not won more consecutively against the Gunners at Anfield since a run of seven between 1981-1988.
• Arsenal’s 2-1 victory over Liverpool back in July was their first win over the Reds in 10 Premier League games (D4 L5). The Gunners are looking to win back-to-back league games against them for the first time since September 2012.
• Since a 1-0 victory over Leicester in April 2017, Arsenal are winless in their last six Premier League games against the reigning champions (D2 L4). However, Arsenal have won each of their last three against Liverpool with the Reds as reigning champions (2-0 in May 1989, 3-0 in December 1990 and 1-0 in March 1991).
• Only three top-flight fixtures – Liverpool v Man Utd (27), Chelsea v Man Utd (20) and Arsenal v Man Utd (18) – have seen more defeats for reigning champions than the 16 between Arsenal and Liverpool, with the Gunners enjoying 10 such victories against the Reds.
• Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 60 Premier League home games (W49 D11) since a 1-2 loss against Crystal Palace in April 2017. Only Chelsea (86 between 2004-2008) and Liverpool themselves (63 between 1978-1980) have had longer such runs in English top-flight history.
• Arsenal are looking to win their opening three games to a Premier League season for the first time since the 2004-05 campaign, when they won their first five.
• Since Jürgen Klopp’s first Premier League game in charge of Liverpool, only Manchester City (35 v Watford & 30 v Bournemouth) have scored more goals against a side than his Liverpool team has versus Arsenal (27).
• In 24 Premier League appearances against Arsenal combined for Liverpool, Roberto Firmino (8), Mohamed Salah (5) and Sadio Mané (5) have netted 67% of the Reds’ goals versus the Gunners since August 2015 (18/27), including 10 of the last 12.
• Arsenal’s Alexandre Lacazette has scored four goals in his last six Premier League games, netting in both of his appearances so far this season. He last scored in three consecutive league games back in February 2019.
• Mikel Arteta is looking to become the first Arsenal manager to win on his first away trip to Liverpool in all competitions since Tom Whittaker in December 1947. Nine Gunners managers since then have failed to win their first such visit, with eight of those losing.

Odds correct as of 1433 BST on 27/9/20

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