Arsenal’s Makeshift Defence Must Combat the Liverpool Press in Season Opener

The fixture computer has thrown Premier League fans a fat, juicy bone to chew on over the course of the opening weekend, as in addition to the customary excitement caused by the return of competitive play, Arsenal host Liverpool on Sunday in the first titanic battle of the campaign.

Both teams have added at least one significant new signing to their squads over the summer, while both have also endured disruptions too: Be it Mamadou Sakho missing flights and being sent home from tour or Arsenal enduring their annual injury crisis all in one position, neither side’s pre-season has been quiet.

Often, summer tournaments create a delayed effect in preparations, and therefore the Premier League’s biggest teams can take a little while to get going—Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United were certainly synonymous with this—but this clash at the Emirates Stadium provides an early litmus test—and also presents the opportunity for both sides to throw down an early marker.

Arsenal

The concerns for Arsenal heading into this game are plentiful: Defensively they’re lacking numbers and quality, the attack is hindered by the same concerns as last season and there’s a midfield quandary for Arsene Wenger to deal with.

Due to Euro 2016-enforced breaks and cruel injury luck, the Gunners could potentially be without Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista for the opener. The Mirror’s Adrian Kajumba reported that Koscielny could be rushed back as he has resumed training, while Nacho Monreal has experience filling in too.

Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil have also been granted an extended break so questions abound up top. Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez have both played in pre-season as the centre-forward, and with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alex Iwobi impressing from the flanks, it wouldn’t surprise if the Chilean led the line temporarily.

Aaron Ramsey is primed to play as the No. 10, while Mohamed Elneny’s good pre-season showings might well nail down the slot alongside big-money acquisition Granit Xhaka.

Liverpool

Liverpool signed Loris Karius from Mainz this summer with a view to making him their No. 1, but a broken hand will delay his debut at least a month. The familiar face of Simon Mignolet will …

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