Sunday’s tilt between Arsenal and Liverpool could wind up being one of the most important of the Premier League season, despite it taking place just three weeks into the new campaign.
Currently sitting as co-favorites to win the league, Liverpool and Arsenal have each won their first two matches of the season but they’ve done it in very different fashion.
While Arsenal has been its usual, steady self under Mikel Arteta in shutout wins over Manchester United and Leeds United, Liverpool has wobbled and recovered in both of its victories.
The Reds built 2-0 leads in each of their victories to start the season, but they watched both of those advantages disappear before rescuing three points with late winners.
Against Bournemouth, Liverpool caught a fortunate bounce in the penalty box to score the game-winner, and then they got a 99th-minute goal to edge Newcastle, 3-2, in a crazy game.
Liverpool has made a habit of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat with good fortune and individual magic over the years, but it’s not a sustainable path to success against the elite teams in the competition.
That’s what they’ll be dealing with Sunday morning when Arsenal show up to Anfield.
This game will be billed as a battle between different soccer philosophies.
While Arteta values possession, control, and pragmatism at Arsenal, Liverpool is known to be a more free-flowing, attacking side that plays with some risk in its game.
Arne Slot tried to dial down some of that risk in his first season in charge of the Reds, but the first two matches of 2025-26 have reintroduced us to the heavy metal soccer that Liverpool played under Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool will always bet on itself in high-event games, so it’s no wonder that they’ve got an unblemished record despite the fact that they’ve conceded four goals in their first two matches this season.
The Reds will try and do everything they can to get Arsenal to engage in a back-and-forth game, but the Gunners will try to get the game to unfold in the exact opposite manner.
A lumbering, possession-heavy match favors Arsenal.
What we’ve seen out of Arsenal this season feels like a continuation of the Arteta Era.
The Gunners were unrelenting defensively in a 1-0 win over Manchester United, and they absolutely pasted Leeds United, 5-0, in their home opener.
When Arsenal feels comfortable enough to come out of its shell, it can make teams look foolish.
The trade-off is that when they’re pitted against other title-worthy teams, the Gunners tend to play things safe and put an emphasis on defending, rather than getting on the front foot.
It may seem a boring approach, but it is effective. Arsenal is arguably the best defensive team in the world.
They’ll be put to the test against Liverpool, but Arsenal should be licking their chops knowing how shaky the Reds have looked defensively to start the season. Against an elite counter-attacking team like the Gunners, Liverpool will have to be more careful than usual, which just isn’t in their DNA.
Arsenal’s form looks more sustainable than Liverpool’s at the moment, and the stylistic matchup should favor the Gunners, even on the road.
The Play: Arsenal (+230, bet365)
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.