Arsenal vs Liverpool
Time – India: 21:00 PM (Saturday), UK: 16:30 PM (Saturday)
Venue – Wembley Stadium
Referee – Andre Marriner
Arsenal and Liverpool will lock horns on Saturday afternoon at Wembley for the traditional curtain-raiser of the English football season.
The FA Community Shield clash between the previous season’s Premier League champions and the FA Cup Winners normally takes place a week before the start of the league season.
But the unprecedented nature of the times and the international games scheduled for next week means the game is set to take place two weeks before the start of the new campaign.
Liverpool won the Premier League on a canter last season with an 18-point lead over second-place Manchester City. The Reds are hoping to get into the new campaign with momentum on their side by winning the Community Shield.
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Arsenal won the FA Cup on the back of their worst Premier League campaign in 25 years but will be hoping to show progress under Mikel Arteta when they meet the champions on Saturday.
Arsenal vs Liverpool: Head-to-Head record
Total played: 195
Arsenal won: 69
Liverpool won: 72
Draws: 54
Arsenal and Liverpool are two of the biggest clubs in England and they have clashed in big games numerous amount of times in the last century. For the moment, the Reds have a slight edge over the Gunners with 72 wins compared to the latter’s 69 victories.
But the overall record is an indication of the competitive nature of the games when these two big English teams clash.
Liverpool did beat Arsenal two of the three times they met last season but the north London club did secure a 2-1 victory when these two sides last clashed in July.
Arsenal vs Liverpool: Recent form
Arsenal recent form (all competitions): W-W-L-W-W
Liverpool recent form (all competitions): W-D-L-W-W
Arsenal vs Liverpool: Team news
Arsenal
Mikel Arteta’s side have a number of notable players sidelined, including the defensive trio of Shkodran Mustafi, Pablo Mari and Calum Chambers, who are all expected to miss the start of the Premier League season.
Gabriel Martinelli will also be sidelined for the start of the new campaign. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is a doubt as well as he just got back to training following a mandatory quarantine period after he returned from Portugal.
Injuries: Shkodran Mustafi, Pablo Mari, Calum Chambers, Gabriel Martinelli
Doubtful: Emiliano Martinez
Liverpool
Liverpool have a few injury concerns ahead of the curtain-raiser on Saturday. Jordan Henderson is still sidelined with a knee problem and him along with Joel Matip will sit out the Community Shield game on Saturday.
Trent Alexander-Arnold is expected to be fit in time for Saturday’s game despite not taking part in the pre-season camp. But Jurgen Klopp is unlikely to take a risk with his fitness.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain remains a long-term absentee and Harry Wilson and Ki-Jana Hoever are doubtful to feature as well.
Injuries: Jordan Henderson, Joel Matip and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Doubtful: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Harry Wilson and Ki-Jana Hoever
Arsenal vs Liverpool: Predicted XI
Arsenal predicted XI: Leno; Saliba, Luiz, Tierney; Cedric, Willock, Xhaka, Saka; Willian, Nketiah, Aubameyang
Liverpool predicted XI: Alisson; Williams, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Fabinho, Wijnaldum; Salah, Brewster, Mane
Arsenal vs Liverpool: Where to watch
India: Sony TEN 2 and Sony TEN 2 HD
UK: BT Sport
Arsenal vs Liverpool: Live stream details
India: SonyLiv app
UK: BT Sport app
Arsenal vs Liverpool: Prediction
Community Shield matches are always difficult to call as teams are rarely in their best shape for the game coming back from pre-season. It is trickier this year due to the quick turnaround between the two campaigns and both Arsenal and Liverpool are still very much in the middle of their pre-season preparations.
A lot will depend how strong a team each manager decides to field on Saturday as this game is likely to be a glorified pre-season game due to the unprecedented nature of our present times.
Liverpool have the depth in their squad to deal with such a scenario and have the extra quality. While Arsenal will not be brushed aside, we expect the Reds to nick it and lift the shield on Saturday.
Arsenal vs Liverpool predicted scoreline: 1-2
Also Read: Throwback Thursday: When Manchester United stunned Barcelona in 1984 Cup Winners’ Cup
