Arsenal vs. Liverpool: 3 key battles in must-win Premier League clash

Arsenal will hope that their plans and squad availability match up by Sunday as they will be trying their luck against the Liverpool (Arne) Slot machine.

Numbers seem to dwindle for the Gunners each week, with William Saliba joining the absentee list after his red card at Bournemouth and Riccardo Calafiori set to miss a number of weeks due to a knee injury picked up versus Shakhtar Donetsk.

Our poor displays and faltering stars are far from ideal when hosting the league leaders. Another win for Liverpool, who remain unbeaten on the road, would see them open up a seven-point lead—a worrying prospect even at this early stage of the campaign.

3 key battles as Arsenal host leaders Liverpool in a must-win Premier League clash

Sunday is a ‘must-win’ fixture like last year's, and here are three key battles that might earn Arsenal a similar result.  

1. Jurrien Timber vs Mohamed Salah

Please do not make Oleksandr Zinchenko do it… PLEASE!

Arsenal never miss a chance to add to their defensive ranks yet they still face a backline crisis as Saliba, Calafiori and Takehiro Tomiyasu will all miss the Liverpool clash, leaving Mikel Arteta with limited choice.

In terms of 100% fit options, the boss still has Jakub Kiwior and Zinchenko at his disposal. However, Timber is nearing a return from muscular troubles and should regain his place in the starting team if available.

The Dutchman is perhaps the only one of that trio with the calmness and composure to stop Mohamed Salah, and he will (probably) not let himself get caught out by long diagonals like his Ukrainian team-mate did at Anfield last December.

His right-footedness might also bode well against a world-class performer like Salah who loves to cut in on his stronger side.

Of all the inherent risks that come with a rearguard reshuffle, Timber is our most assured candidate here.   

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