Opta Predicts Liverpool v Arsenal: Back Salah to strike in 7/1 bet builder | OneFootball

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With two matchdays of the 2025/26 Premier League season down, just three teams boast perfect records - Arsenal, Liverpool and Tottenham.

At least one of those records must end on Sunday as the Gunners visit Anfield for a colossal match-up with Liverpool.

Arne Slot's side have not looked particularly sturdy at the back thus far, but dramatic victories over Bournemouth and Newcastle United have them on six points.

Arsenal, meanwhile, followed up an unconvincing 1-0 win over crisis club Manchester United with a 5-0 rout of Leeds United, with new striker Viktor Gyökeres scoring his first two Premier League goals.

But who will come out on top in this clash between champions and challengers?

With the help of Opta insights, we have picked out our favourite selections that could make up an enticing Bet Builder.

Liverpool given slight edge

This is the earliest point in a Premier League campaign at which the previous season's top two have met since 2017/18, when Chelsea won 2-1 at Tottenham in their second game.

Understandably, there is huge anticipation ahead of Sunday's match, which could offer a few early clues about the destination of the title.

Liverpool are favourites for victory with Betfair's Sportsbook at 11/10, with Arsenal 15/8 to leave Merseyside with three points and the draw at 21/10.

The Opta supercomputer is also leaning slightly in Liverpool's direction. The Reds won in 44.1% of our pre-match simulations, with Arsenal triumphing 30.2% of the time and the draw seen as a realistic threat at 25.8%.

Arsenal have not fared well at Anfield in recent years, failing to win across any of their last 12 Premier League trips there (five draws, seven defeats). In fact, when Arsenal last won at Liverpool in September 2012, manager Arteta started in midfield for the Gunners, who won 2-0 via goals from Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla.

The latter years of Arsene Wenger's reign brought several humiliating defeats at Anfield, with Liverpool registering 5-1, 4-1 and 4-0 wins at home to Arsenal in 2014, 2015 and 2017.

But Arteta's Gunners are a different beast, and though they have fallen short of the title in the last three seasons, they have drawn on each of their last three Premier League visits to Liverpool - 2-2 in April 2023, 1-1 in December 2023 and 2-2 in May 2025.

With another close contest expected here, punters who are tempted to look in Liverpool's direction with home advantage might see their 3/10 price on the Double Chance market as a solid start to a Bet Builder.

It's worth noting that Arsenal, with their rock-solid defence, did not lose a single Premier League game to a 'Big Six' rival in 2024/25, though five of those 10 matches finished level.

The Gunners have also won their first two games of the campaign without conceding a goal, last starting a league season with three straight shutout victories in 1924/25. They are 5/1 to win to nil again.

However, there may not be many who like the look of that bet at Anfield, as Liverpool have scored in 36 consecutive Premier League matches, equalling their best streak in the competition, set under Jürgen Klopp between March 2019 and February 2020.

The champions have netted in 98% of their Premier League games under Slot (39/40), only failing to do so in a 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest last September. That is the highest percentage by any manager in the competition's history (minimum 15 games).

Arsenal are expected to be without key winger Bukayo Saka - whose 16 Premier League goal involvements were the most of any Gunners player last season - due to a hamstring injury, in another potential red flag for those considering backing the visitors. The level of participation for captain Martin Odegarard is also uncertain.

Entertainment on the cards

Outside of the match result, there may be some value when turning to the goals markets.

Each of the last six Premier League meetings between Liverpool and Arsenal have seen both teams score, and all but one of those - a 1-1 draw in December 2023 - have contained over 2.5 goals.

Both meetings between the teams in 2024/25 finished 2-2, and it is 19/5 for both teams to score multiple goals this time around, or 11/1 for another 2-2 draw.

It is 6/10 for both teams to find the net, and 8/11 for a minimum of three goals to be scored. At a slightly better price, the latter selection may be many punters' preferred option, as for all Liverpool's brilliance going forward, their leaky defence is a concern.

Having gone 2-0 up through goals from Ryan Gravenberch and Hugo Ekitike at St James' Park on Monday, Liverpool contrived to let the 10 men of Newcastle draw level, before the stoppage-time heroics of teenager Rio Ngumoha spared their blushes.

It was the first time Liverpool had shipped two goals while their opponents were down to 10 men in a Premier League game since 2001, and Newcastle outshot them four to three while a player down.

Liverpool have allowed their opponents 0.13 xG per shot in the Premier League this season, and while it's admittedly a small sample size, only five teams in the division have given up a greater average quality of chance.

Reds right-back Jeremie Frimpong will miss Sunday's game, and deputy Conor Bradley has only just returned to full training himself.

For all the praise directed towards Arsenal's defence, meanwhile, their two Premier League matches this term have contained 52 shots (27 for, 25 against). Only games involving Manchester United (54) featured more across matchdays one and two.

Neutrals will hope to see the league's top two teams go at one another, and both teams to score and over 2.5 goals both look worthy of strong consideration.

However, with home advantage on Liverpool's side and the availability of a couple of Arsenal stars uncertain, we still see backing the champions to avoid defeat as the most prudent play.

The Egyptian King still wears the crown

Ekitike has been Liverpool's headline-maker since arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt, netting in the Community Shield and in each of their first two Premier League games.

The Frenchman is just the fourth Liverpool player to score on his first two Premier League appearances, and the first to score on his first three outings in all competitions since Daniel Sturridge in 2013.

Ekitike is 17/10 to continue his hot streak with an anytime goal and 5/1 to open the scoring. The 23-year-old also supplied an assist for Cody Gakpo on matchday one, and he is 10/11 to register a goal involvement - the joint-shortest price of any player.

He is not the only new forward hoping to light up the title race, with Gyökeres getting off the mark for Arsenal last week. Unsurprisingly, given Saka's status, the Swede leads all Arsenal players in the goalscorer betting, at 13/8 to net any time and 5/1 to score first.

Gyökeres' brace against Leeds made him just the second player to net multiple goals on his home Premier League debut for Arsenal, after Gabriel Jesus versus Leicester City in 2022.

And the fact the Swede was entrusted with penalty-taking responsibilities in that game gives him another edge in the goalscorer betting. Gyökeres has taken 18 penalties in the Primeira Liga and Premier League since the start of 2023/24, scoring all 18. That is the best 100% record of any player in Europe's top 10 leagues (ahead of Harry Kane, 14).

Arsenal could have another debutant at Anfield after completing a £67.5m swoop for Eberechi Eze from Crystal Palace. Eze is 11/4 for a debut goal and 7/5 to score or assist. However, the prospect of Arteta easing his new man into the team could give punters some pause before backing those selections.

While both teams' new signings are making headlines, it's always worth anticipating that Liverpool stalwart Mohamed Salah will make his mark.

Salah has had a slow start to 2025/26, by his lofty standards. He matched the single-season record for Premier League goal involvements last term, with 47, but he did not attempt a single shot against Newcastle. His 34 touches at St James' Park, meanwhile, were the second fewest of any Liverpool starter, ahead of only Ekitike (28), who did not play the full game.

However, Salah still came up with the assist for Ngumoha's dramatic winner, having scored the clinching goal against Bournemouth on matchday one, an intervention that again came right at the end of another quiet outing.

Salah has either scored or assisted on 16 of his last 18 Premier League appearances at Anfield (13 goals, seven assists), so it is no surprise to see him at 10/11 to score or assist - the same price as Ekitike.

The Egyptian's record against Arsenal is also superb. He has 11 Premier League goals against the Gunners, with only Kane (14) and Wayne Rooney (12) scoring against them more often.

One of Salah's strikes came for Chelsea, with the remaining 10 coming for Liverpool, so only Roberto Firmino (11) has more Premier League goals against Arsenal for the Reds.

Salah is 9/2 to score first and 7/5 to find himself on the scoresheet at any point. He was limited to just three shots worth 0.26 xG across the opening two matchdays, but his figure of 0.71 expected goals on target (xGoT) demonstrates that he has amplified the quality of those chances with strong finishing.

Liverpool's talisman is still finding his feet in 2025/26, but he has capped two underwhelming performances with goal involvements. Backing him to contribute again in this one appears a sensible play.

Gakpo, meanwhile, provided two assists against Newcastle, marking the first time he has provided two assists in a Premier League game. He is 5/1 to assist anytime here.

Arsenal to rely on corner threat

Arsenal cannot be accused of cutting corners, and their prowess from set-piece scenarios has been a theme throughout the opening two matchdays.

Riccardo Calafiori scored the winner at Old Trafford from their first corner of the season, then Jurriën Timber netted twice from such scenarios against Leeds.

Given the fact Arsenal will be without Saka, it could be smart to take the Gunners' set-piece strengths into account.

Since the start of 2023/24, Arsenal have scored 33 Premier League goals from corners - the most in Europe's top five leagues. They have also netted from a corner in each of their last three matches.

Arsenal are 1/1 to take over 4.5 corners and 2/1 to take over 5.5. Incredibly, however, only Crystal Palace (three) and Everton (four) have taken fewer corners than Arsenal in the Premier League this season. It is not the quantity of their set-pieces that counts, but the quality. Arsenal only took two corners against Leeds, with Timber scoring from both.

With fine margins often proving the difference when two title rivals meet, Arteta will certainly have tasked set-piece coach Nicolas Jover with dreaming up more routines.

How, then, can punters garner some value from Arsenal's corner threat? The answer could just lie in backing their defenders to try their luck.

Calafiori has attempted four shots in the Premier League this season, the joint-most of any Premier League defender alongside towering Sunderland centre-back Dan Ballard.

The Italian is 5/2 to attempt two or more shots at Anfield and 13/5 to get one on target. He had three efforts against Leeds, one of which led to him being credited for the assist for Timber's second goal, amid a goalmouth scramble.

Last season, Calafiori averaged 0.55 shots on target per 90 in the Premier League, the highest figure of any defender to play more than 900 minutes. He is 13/1 to get back on the scoresheet after his Old Trafford goal.

On the opposite side of the back four, Timber is one of just two Premier League defenders to log multiple shots on target this campaign (two, level with Ballard) and is 5/1 to hit the target once at Anfield.

Timber did only average 0.15 shots on target per 90 last season, though, so Calafiori may carry the greater threat.

But with Myles Lewis-Skelly and Ben White representing solid full-back alternatives for Arteta, readers may feel more comfortable backing one of the first names on Arsenal's team sheet.

Centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes has scored at least three goals in four successive Premier League campaigns. He netted at Anfield back in December 2023 and is 11/4 to log an attempt on target, or 10/1 for a goal.

Since the start of the 2023/24 season, Gabriel has scored seven headed goals in the Premier League - at least three more than any other defender. The Brazilian also tends to relish the biggest games, having scored with his head at Tottenham and Manchester City last term.

For those hoping for some more open-play creativity from the Gunners, Eze could be worth a glance. He is 8/11 to get one shot on target and 7/2 for two. While facing Liverpool in the Community Shield earlier this month, Eze attempted the joint-most shots of any player, with three, and he is 4/7 to try his luck three times.

But given the question marks over Eze's starting status, or whether he'll end up playing the full 90 minutes if he does get the nod, the Arsenal players who provide most value in the shots markets - and potentially Betfair's Match Ups betting - could be their defenders.