Liverpool vs Arsenal: Combined XI features seven Gunners with key Iraola star missing out
Arsenal are preparing for their biggest league test so far this season, as they visit the north-west of England to play Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
After Tuesday night's humiliating defeat at the hands of League Two side Fleetwood Town, Mikel Arteta's team are in desperate need of a positive result on Merseyside. The Gunners have been the butt of the joke in the footballing world in recent days, and their supporters will be desperate to shrug this off and regain the arrogance of being the champions of England.
The odds look somewhat stacked in the home side's favour, however. This isn't because Andoni Iraola's side are better than the North Londoners, but Anfield is a fortress that Arsenal have failed to breach in the last 14 years. The historic stadium has a curse on the Gunners, and they can't seem to navigate their way to three points inside of it.
Liverpool have dominated Arsenal at Anfield for so long, and six or seven years ago, the respective squads were miles apart. Jurgen Klopp's teams trounced the North Londoners in every department.
This cannot be said today. With that said, here's a look at a combined XI for Liverpool and Arsenal, based on who will be fit for Sunday's encounter.
Goalkeeper and Defence
GK: David Raya (Arsenal) - Raya has just come second in the Yashin Trophy rankings, and arguably should've been crowned the best goalkeeper in the world right now. Meanwhile, Alisson Becker wasn't even nominated.
RB: Jurrien Timber (Arsenal) - Jeremie Frimpong is too weak for the Premier League and cannot defend. Ronald Aruajo is a dependable full-back, but he has nowhere near the breadth of attributes that Jurrien Timber has. It's clear.
CB: Jeremy Jacquet (Liverpool) - If William Saliba was fit, it would be a no-brainer. Unfortunately, the Frenchman is out injured, meaning it's a straight shootout between Jacquet, Virgil van Dijk and Ezri Konsa for the slot next to Gabriel Magalhaes. Konsa is excellent, but Jacquet has been outstanding since his move to Liverpool, outshining a declining Van Dijk next to him.
CB: Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal) - This doesn't need justifying. He's comfortably the best fit defender in the Premier League right now.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori (Arsenal) - Liverpool don't boast the best set of full-backs at the moment, and Milos Kerkez certainly doesn't come close to matching Riccardo Calafiori's ability to influence a game. The Italian is expected to be fit for this encounter.
Midfield
CM: Declan Rice (Arsenal) - Rice is arguably one of the top three midfielders on the planet at this present moment, so he obviously walks into this combined eleven. His durability is part of what makes him so great and why he will definitely find a way to be fit for this clash.
CM: Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) - Szoboszlai is a doubt for this clash after suffering from injury issues of late. If he makes it, he should make this eleven, as he is the fulcrum of Liverpool's midfield. Bruno Guimaraes and Myles Lewis-Skelly unfortunate to miss out.
CAM: Martin Odegaard (Arsenal) - It's between Odegaard and Florian Wirtz for this spot, and the form the Norwegian is in makes it impossible to leave him out.
Forwards
RW: Noni Madueke (Arsenal) - Hear me out. Bukayo Saka is injured, and Liverpool have no real right wingers. Either Cody Gakpo or Bradley Barcola is being shoehorned into this role on a weekly basis, but neither naturally suits it. Thus, Madueke is the best available right-sided forward either team has to offer right now.
ST: Alexander Isak (Liverpool) - A month or so ago, Kai Havertz might've had a shout. Unfortunately, the German isn't in form and Isak is.
LW: Bradley Barcola (Liverpool) - Arsenal were heavily linked with Barcola over the summer, and the early signs from his performances at Anfield suggest the Gunners might've made a mistake not pursuing him.
