Mikel Arteta is yet to mastermind a victory away at a team directly competing with his side for top spot
We haven’t left the month of August, the transfer window hasn’t even closed yet, and already it feels like every point matters in the Premier League title race. Pre-season favourites Liverpool and Arsenal are two of the only three teams left – the other being Thomas Frank’s Tottenham – with a 100 per cent record still in tact.
Manchester City looked pretty vulnerable in last weekend’s defeat at home to Spurs, while dark horses Chelsea have also faltered through the opening few weeks. There’s a real chance, then, for one of the Reds or the Gunners to pull away with some early momentum.
That’s what makes Sunday’s showdown so interesting. Arsenal and Liverpool will do battle as Europe’s two biggest spenders this summer. The pressure is on both to deliver on the promise of their respective re-toolings, even more so for Mikel Arteta’s men, who are still without a major trophy since the first coronavirus lockdown.
Defeat at Anfield would set a pretty bleak tone heading into the season’s first international break, but victory for the north Londoners could define their season, even at this early stage.