Liverpool will face Arsenal on Sunday in the Premier League, and former Reds star Steve McManaman exclusively assesses the clash for Sports Mole.
Liverpool‘s main title challengers will be Arsenal and not Manchester City or Chelsea, former Reds great Steve McManaman has exclusively told Sports Mole.
The Merseysiders are set to face the Gunners on Sunday in a hotly anticipated clash that could have significant ramifications on the 2025-26 Premier League title race.
Arne Slot guided the Reds to the title in 2024-25, claiming top spot with four games to spare and finishing ahead of second-placed Arsenal by 10 points.
When asked by Sports Mole about who Liverpool fans should consider as their title rivals this term, McManaman could not look past the Gunners, saying: “I still think it’s between Liverpool and Arsenal. City are rebuilding and it’ll take a little bit of time – they brought in a lot of players in January.
“City also brought in more players in the summer. Kevin De Bruyne has gone, Rodri’s injured, the goalkeeper’s changed and they brought in a new left-back. It’ll take a little bit of time, though I still expect them to be competitive.
“Liverpool and Arsenal are more settled, and I think Chelsea will draw too many games, so it’ll be Liverpool and Arsenal the way the season has started already. Hopefully the game on Sunday is good and from a Liverpool perspective, hopefully they get the win.”
Arsenal have finished second in each of the past three campaigns, so it would not be surprising if they were once again near the top of the table at the end of the current season.
Liverpool vs. Arsenal assessed: Arne Slot’s defensive concerns
Though Liverpool have six points from six, they have conceded four goals in their first two Premier League matches, and have twice surrendered 2-0 leads.
The club looked vulnerable during transitions against Bournemouth, and they struggled to deal with Newcastle United’s set-piece threat on Monday.
McManaman insisted that the Reds must improve at the back to stand a chance of winning on the weekend, telling Sports Mole: “The simple answer is yes, they have to improve. Liverpool need to be a lot better than we’ve seen already against Bournemouth and Newcastle. They were very vulnerable against Newcastle.
“The two goals, the Kerkez goal and the Konate goal, were defensive errors, regardless of what you say. They should have been better. I thought Van Dijk was excellent, I really do. He was like a colossus, certainly against Newcastle.”
Left-back Milos Kerkez was heavily criticised for his role in Newcastle’s first goal, while Ibrahima Konate has started the new season in unusually poor form.
What threat will Mikel Arteta‘s side pose at Anfield on Sunday?
Arsenal have spent significant sums on improving Mikel Arteta’s squad, with the likes of Eberechi Eze, Viktor Gyokeres and Martin Zubimendi all joining this summer.
The Gunners have also retained the set-piece threat that made them so dangerous from free kicks and corners last term, and they have in fact scored their opening goals against Manchester United and Leeds United this season from corners.
Speaking to Sports Mole, McManaman expressed his concern that the visitors have the strength to cause Liverpool problems, saying: “We’ve seen Arsenal score set pieces at Anfield before. Arsenal have invested very heavily in the summer and have filled a lot of the gaps that they had last year.
“I think bringing Eze in at the last minute was brilliant. They didn’t need him, but they brought him in anyway. They brought Madueke, they brought the number nine that they wanted in. Zubimendi has come in, though of course, they lost Jorginho and Partey. They’ve invested cleverly this year, so they are a big threat.
“Liverpool need to be better than what we’ve seen already in the two games. They will be better because they’ve got new signings, they’ll adapt and they’ll be better. They need to bring in a few new players as well, which I think they will. It’s a nice curtain-raiser on Sunday to see where the two teams are at.”
While a defeat against Arsenal would by no means put the title beyond Liverpool considering the game on Sunday will be their third match of the league season, it could be psychologically damaging to lose at home to a direct rival.
Steve McManaman was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of bet365, Official Global Partner of the UEFA Champions League. This season, bet365 will be once again running the Big Ticket Giveaway game giving fans the chance to win tickets to every single UEFA Champions League match starting with the Round 1 ballot which opens on 31st August. Registration Required. T&Cs Apply, 18+. GambleAware.org
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