Arsenal go to Anfield on Sunday without a banned teenager and with three regulars racing the clock, and the Arsenal predicted lineup vs Liverpool leans heavily on the side that beat Everton last weekend.
Kick-off is at 4.30pm UK time on Sunday 1 November at Anfield. Arsenal are second on 21 points from eight games, level with leaders Manchester City and behind only on goal difference. Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool sit fourth on 15 points and arrive in good spirits after knocking Chelsea out of the Carabao Cup on penalties on Wednesday, 6-5 in the shootout after a 1-1 draw.
Arsenal’s week has gone the other way. Tuesday’s penalty exit at League Two Fleetwood Town still stings, and you can relive the whole sorry night in our report on Arsenal’s League Cup exit at Fleetwood. The record at Anfield does not help either: Arsenal have not won a league game there since September 2012, a run of 13 Premier League visits without a win.
The good news for Gooners is that the Fleetwood side was not the team that will start on Sunday. Mikel Arteta made nine changes for the cup tie, and his strongest XI won 2-0 against Everton only a week ago.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Liverpool
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Merino; Madueke, Odegaard, Eze; Gyokeres.
That is the same XI that started against Everton. The Sun’s Simon Collings reports that Declan Rice, Noni Madueke, Christos Tzolis and Mikel Merino are all expected to be fit, while Riccardo Calafiori is a doubt. If that holds, Arteta has no reason to break up a side that kept a clean sheet and scored twice from defence last weekend.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Liverpool: defence
David Raya: the safe pair of hands
No debate here. David Raya starts, and he will need to be sharp at a ground where Arsenal have so often been put under siege. Kepa is on the bench as cover.
Ben White keeps the right-back shirt
Ben White replaced Jurrien Timber at right-back against Everton and laid on Gabriel’s header for the second goal. That cross alone should keep him in the side, with Timber an option from the bench.
Ezri Konsa and Gabriel: the scorers stay together
Both centre-backs scored against Everton. Ezri Konsa opened the scoring in the seventh minute and Gabriel added the second in the 68th. With William Saliba still out with a back injury and not expected back before the November international break, this is Arteta’s first-choice pairing for Anfield.
Myles Lewis-Skelly at left-back vs Liverpool?
Myles Lewis-Skelly was preferred to Calafiori at left-back against Everton, and Calafiori’s fitness makes that call simpler this time. The Italian went straight down the tunnel after the Everton win and missed Fleetwood, and he is still a doubt. Piero Hincapie was back on the bench against Everton after an ankle injury and gives Arteta another left-sided option.
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Liverpool: midfield
Declan Rice: the fitness call that matters most
Declan Rice was replaced by Martin Zubimendi in the 80th minute against Everton after holding his hamstring, and he sat out the Fleetwood tie. He was pictured training on Monday, and the latest reports say he is expected to be fit. A league game at Anfield is exactly where Arsenal need him, so he starts in our XI. If he is not risked, Zubimendi is the natural replacement.
Arteta made clear after the cup exit that Rice, Calafiori and Madueke were missing through injury rather than rest. Speaking via football.london, he said: “[Riccardo] Calafiori was out, Noni [Madueke] was out with an ankle [problem], and Declan [Rice] finished with a problem the other day [vs Everton]. That’s why I had to substitute him.” We covered all three in our Arsenal injury news before Liverpool.
Mikel Merino alongside him
Mikel Merino got a rare midfield start against Everton, pushing Bruno Guimaraes onto the bench. He is expected to be fit, and his height and work rate make sense in a game where Arsenal will have to defend set pieces and second balls.
Arsenal attack vs Liverpool: who plays out wide?
Noni Madueke on the right, if the ankle allows
Madueke played all 90 minutes against Everton but an ankle problem kept him out at Fleetwood. He matters even more now. Bukayo Saka is out with the quad injury he suffered against Bayern Munich, and Arteta has said his recovery will take weeks, while Max Dowman is suspended. That leaves Madueke as Arteta’s go-to option on the right, provided he is passed fit.
Martin Odegaard in the middle
Martin Odegaard started against Everton and stays in the number 10 role. He will be key to keeping the ball when Liverpool press.
Eberechi Eze on the left
Eberechi Eze came back into the side for Everton in place of the injured Saka, and he keeps the left-wing spot. Tzolis is close to a return from his hamstring problem and could make the bench.
Viktor Gyokeres leads the line vs Liverpool
Viktor Gyokeres started ahead of Kai Havertz against Everton, and he scored Arsenal’s only goal at Fleetwood with a 50th-minute equaliser. He gets the nod again, with Havertz the option from the bench.
Arsenal vs Liverpool team news: who is out?
Out: Bukayo Saka (quad), William Saliba (back), Max Dowman (suspended).
Doubtful: Riccardo Calafiori. Rice, Madueke, Tzolis and Merino are expected to be fit.
Dowman’s ban is now confirmed. An independent Regulatory Commission dismissed Arsenal’s claims of wrongful dismissal and excessive punishment over his straight red card at Fleetwood, where he kicked out at Harrison Neal after a heavy challenge. The FA said the 16-year-old will serve a three-match suspension, so he misses Liverpool, Hull City on 7 November and Newcastle United on 21 November. He is still available for the Champions League games against Slavia Prague and Borussia Dortmund. For the background, read our piece on Max Dowman’s red card appeal.
Verdict: the Everton XI has earned Anfield
Arteta’s nine changes at Fleetwood backfired, but they also mean his best players are fresh for Sunday. If Rice and Madueke are passed fit, there is no reason to tinker. This XI scored twice, kept a clean sheet and moved Arsenal level with City at the top. Anfield is the place to put that record right, and the Gooners will want the strongest side out there to do it.
The final Arsenal predicted lineup vs Liverpool
Arsenal predicted lineup vs Liverpool (4-2-3-1): Raya; White, Konsa, Gabriel, Lewis-Skelly; Rice, Merino; Madueke, Odegaard, Eze; Gyokeres.
