Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the English Premier League match.
The ninth round of the Premier League concludes with a match between giants Arsenal and Liverpool, currently third and first respectively. Will Liverpool confirm their status as the leading title contenders, or can Arsenal finally deliver a strong performance?
Arsenal
While it appears Liverpool have a tough October schedule, it actually seems tougher for Arsenal. Their performances have been so inconsistent that it's hard to believe this is the same team that started the season so convincingly under Mikel Arteta. Against Bournemouth (0:2), Arsenal endured another sending-off: not only did William Saliba make errors, but another defender's mistake led to a penalty, sealing their first defeat of the season. In the Champions League, they managed a single goal against Shakhtar Donetsk, scored by the goalkeeper, and failed to score further even with a penalty.
Liverpool
Liverpool, on the other hand, first dispatched Chelsea (nine total shots, five on target, with two goals) and then edged past RB Leipzig (1:0) in the Champions League. Though the scoreline could have been larger, both Péter Gulácsi for Leipzig and Caoimhín Kelleher for Liverpool pulled off a couple of impressive saves. Even in Alisson Becker's absence, Liverpool have a reliable replacement in goal.
Arsenal vs Liverpool Prediction
Arsenal not only miss William Saliba in defence; Riccardo Calafiori is a doubt, and crucially, their attacking leader Bukayo Saka will not play. Another creative force, Martin Ødegaard, has been absent for some time now, impacting Arsenal's attacking dynamics. Liverpool's primary absentee is Alisson Becker, but, as mentioned, they're well-covered in that position. In this battle of title contenders, it's challenging to pick a clear favourite, but the visitors have been more assured in recent matches. Moreover, in their last 12 head-to-head encounters, the Merseyside club have remained unbeaten in 10. Therefore, we're going with a double chance for Liverpool this time, coupled with a total under 3.5. After all, neither side is dazzling in attack currently, and the significance of the match cannot be understated.
