Rio Ferdinand is certain that Liverpool will be the overwhelming favorites in Sunday’s high-profile Premier League match against Arsenal.
Arne Slot has had an extraordinary debut at Anfield, with the sole blemish on his record being a surprise loss to Nottingham Forest.
In fact, the Dutchman became the first manager in the club’s history to win 11 of his first 12 matches after Liverpool’s victory over RB Leipzig in midweek.
Despite Arsenal’s recent comparative struggles, the Reds will travel to north London in a justifiably confident attitude, despite having lost their last two Premier League games at the Emirates Stadium.
Arsenal suffered an unexpected loss to Bournemouth last week, and despite their subsequent victory over Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, they were not at their most proficient.
Ferdinand is confident that Liverpool will be spotting an opportunity to place substantial ground between them and a major title rival, as the suspension of William Saliba, in addition to injury concerns regarding the likes of Martin Odegaard and Bukayo Saka, represent further complications.
“I would say Liverpool is the team you would look at and say they are in a better position, based on form and momentum,” he stated in an interview with TNT Sport.
Arsenal appears to be in a state of disarray with regard to injuries at the present.
“I believe Liverpool has reversed the tide; they are not firing on all cylinders, they lack momentum, and they are not the Arsenal of last season.”Liverpool is currently the team to defeat, despite the fact that the season has only been a few games old.
Arteta acknowledged that his team has not yet achieved the same level of success as last season, but he has pledged that the Emirates will be electrifying upon the start of the match this weekend.
Arteta reflected on the victory over Shakhtar, stating, “I believe there were two distinct halves. In the first half, we were extremely dominant; we generated four significant opportunities that we should have capitalized on to secure the victory.”
‘The second half was significantly different; we appeared fatigued, and we lacked the necessary sharpness both with and without the ball to recapture possession in the appropriate moments and locations. Additionally, we conceded certain passes, which facilitated specific transitions.
‘We had two significant opportunities again, but we missed a significant penalty. The emotion was once again difficult to overcome, and we must start anew. However, we must give credit to the other team; they are a formidable opponent. The moment you allow them space, fail to complete actions, and allow them to run, they pose a threat. In general, the Champions League is the focus; the team must secure the victory and maintain a clean sheet. We should proceed.
