Arsenal v Liverpool LIVE: Premier League team news and line-ups as Darwin Nunez faces fitness test

Liverpool have played with style following the announcement that Klopp will leave at the end of the season, beating Chelsea 4-1 last time out.

A draw at Anfield was a good result for Arsenal in December, but worrying losses followed at West Ham and Fulham before convincing wins against Crystal Palace and then Nottingham Forest midweek.

Predicted Arsenal XI: Raya; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Zinchenko; Odegaard, Rice, Smith-Rowe; Saka, Martinelli, Jesus

Predicted Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Gomez; Szoboszlai, MacAllister, Jones; Jota, Nunez, Diaz

The reverse fixture was at times an open affair, though both teams were evenly matched throughout. Expect the same again, with a lively game full of chances at both ends, but both teams likely providing a match for each other. We’ve predicted a draw: Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool.

Liverpool have played with style following the announcement that Klopp will leave at the end of the season, beating Chelsea 4-1 last time out.

The Reds will be wary of the need for a win in London, as they currently lead Arsenal and Manchester City by five points.

A draw at Anfield was a good result for Arsenal in December, but worrying losses followed at West Ham and Fulham before convincing wins against Crystal Palace and then Nottingham Forest midweek.

There will come a point – perhaps this summer, perhaps next, perhaps further into the future – when Liverpool’s next manager will face the problem of finding a successor for one of their greatest ever players. Replacing Mohamed Salah may be the impossible task. In the last month, however, Diogo Jota has shown he can deputise adeptly for the Egyptian as he has first been at the Africa Cup of Nations and then injured.

Darwin Nunez can be entertainingly erratic, but Jota is more clinical. He is Liverpool’s most reliable scorer in Salah’s absence; indeed he actually has a higher chance conversion rate than the talisman. He has taken on Salah’s mantle in another respect: Harvey Elliott, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo have all had their minutes on the right flank in recent weeks. Jota, though, has exerted the most impact.

His favourite opponents have tended to be Arsenal. He faces them on Sunday and, in 10 meetings with the Gunners in a Liverpool shirt, Jota has seven goals and two assists. He has been more prolific at the Emirates Stadium, scoring five times there, including a Carabao Cup semi-final brace two years ago.

Darwin Nunez is a doubt for Liverpool’s trip to Arsenal on Sunday as Jurgen Klopp praised him for playing through the pain barrier in Wednesday’s 4-1 win over Chelsea.

Klopp revealed that the Uruguayan striker left Anfield in a protective boot after an evening when he hit the woodwork four times, including from a penalty, but set up Luis Diaz’s late goal.

Elsewhere in the side, first-choice full-backs Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are both in contention to make a return, though both Joe Gomez and Conor Bradley have been playing well in their absence.

Mohamed Salah remains injured, while summer signing Wataru Endo is on international duty with Japan.

For Arsenal, Takehiro Tomiyasu is unavailable due to being on international duty with Japan, while Thomas Partey has still not recovered from his long-term injury. Gabriel Jesus is fit after a minor knee issue.

Recent games between the two sides have seen mixed results, with an FA Cup meeting in January ending in a 2-0 away win for the Reds.

A evenly matched contest in the league in December ended in a draw at Anfield, as did the last league meeting before that – a 2-2 draw in April 2023.

Arsenal have only won two of their last 17 league games against Liverpool, with both coming at the Emirates in July 2020 and October 2022. Matches between the two sides in the Premier League have produced a record 186 goals, so fans may be right to expect an entertaining game.

The Emirates played host to a stunning opening Premier League game in 2016, when Liverpool won 4-3 thanks to Sadio Mane. Perhaps the most memorable game between the two was a 4-4 draw at Anfield in 2009, when Andrey Arshavin scored four to dent the Reds’ title hopes.

Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Arsenal vs Liverpool at the Emirates.

The game kicks off at 4:30pm GMT, with Jurgen Klopp’s side looking to extend their lead at the top of the Premier League to eight points.

Mikel Arteta’s team will hope to close the gap to just two points, with both sides wary of the threat of Manchester City, who are currently lurking in second on level points with Arsenal, but with a game in hand.

The Reds have been in fine form of late, beating Chelsea 4-1 in midweek and reaching the Carabao Cup final the week before. The Gunners faltered a little around Christmas, but beat Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest convincingly in their last two games.