English Premier League is Back! PREVIEW Arsenal vs Liverpool Aug 14th
The best game of the English Premier League’s opening weekend will be taking place between Arsenal and Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium in London this Sunday, August 14th. Both clubs are seen as legitimate challengers for the league title this season and have a great chance to prove it in their 2016/17 season debuts.
Arsenal vs Liverpool – Bovada Soccer Betting Line:
- Bovada currently lists this match EVEN with Arsenal -150 ad Liverpool +125
- Money Line: Arsenal +130, Liverpool +215, Draw +250
- Goals Scored: 2.5, Over +110, Under -115
Arsenal vs Liverpool – Head to Head:
These two teams met twice in Premier League last season and played to a 0-0 draw in London in August and a 3-3 draw at Anfield in Liverpool in January. The clubs have met 220 times in the past with Liverpool winning 83, losing 78 and drawing the other 59. Liverpool is winless in the last five with three draws and two losses. Their last win was 5-1 at home in league action in February of 2014. It’s their only victory in the last 10 meetings along with five defeats and four draws.
Arsenal – A Closer Look:
The Gunners of North London finished as runners-up in the Premier League last season as they placed 10 points behind league champions Leicester City. Arsenal earned 71 points on 20 wins, 11 draws and seven defeats. They scored 65 goals and allowed 36 against. Manager Arsene Wenger led them to a berth in the European Champions League once again, but the fans are getting restless since the team hasn’t won a Premier League title since the 2003/04 campaign. However, the club did manage to capture the FA Cup in 2013/14 and 2014/15.
The Gunners acquired Granit Xhaka from Borussia Monchengladbach during the offseason as well as Takuma Asano from Hiroshima Sanfrecce and Rob Holding from Bolton Wanderers. They also released veterans Mikel Arteta, Tomas Rosicky and Mathieu Flamini while goaltender Wojciech Szczesny is out on loan to Roma of Italy. As usual, the Gunners have a long injury list as defenders Laurent Koscielny and Gabriel Paulista may miss the game along with midfielder Jack Wilshere while defenders Per Mertesacker, Carl Jenkinson and forward Danny Welbeck are out long term. Forward Alexis Sanchez is also questionable.
Liverpool – A Closer Look:
Liverpool lost to Chelsea 1-0 in the preseason International Champions Cup tournament and then beat Italy’s AC Milan 2-0 before losing 2-1 to Roma of Italy. Liverpool finished eighth in the Premier League last season with 60 points from 16 victories, 12 draws and 10 defeats with 63 goals scored and 50 allowed. Manager Jurgen Klopp of Germany signed a contract extension in the offseason and he made numerous player moves. The club acquired Joel Matip of Schalke, Loris Karius of FSV Mainz 05, Sadio Mane from Southampton, Ragnar Klavan and Alex Manninger from Augsburg and Georginio Wijnaldum from Newcastle.
Players that left Liverpool include Kolo Toure, Jordan Rossiter, Jose Enrique, Martin Skrtel, Joe Allen, Brad Smith, Joe Flanagan, Jordon Ibe and Adam Bogdan. Liverpool also beat lower-tier English teams Huddersfield Town AFC, Tranmere Rovers, Fleetwood Town and Wigan Athletic before the ICC tournament kicked off. They wrapped up their preseason with a 4-0 win over Spanish champions Barcelona at Wembley Stadium in London last Saturday. Liverpool also has a long injury list with forward Daniel Sturridge questionable again as usual along with midfielders Sheyi Ojo, Mamadou Sakho and James Milner. Goalkeeper Loris Karius is out along with midfielder Lucas Leiva and defender Joe Gomez.
Arsenal vs Liverpool – Takeaway:
This is easily the biggest game of the weekend when it comes to title-challenging teams. Each club needs to prove they can beat the league’s best and this is an excellent opportunity for Arsenal and Liverpool to show they mean business.