Can Arsenal really mount a title challenge this season? The Gunners have topped the Premier League table right through the early exchanges and Mikel Arteta’s men enhanced their reputation with a 3-1 win in the North London derby last weekend.
A further test comes this Sunday with the visit of Liverpool (4.30pm; TV: Live on Sky Sports). Jurgen Klopp’s side have struggled at times in this campaign and last week’s 3-3 home draw with Brighton leaves the Reds down in ninth place with ten points from seven games. The form guide may point to the home win, but Liverpool will always pose a threat in any fixture. Let’s see what our AFC vs LFC preview makes of it before deciding on our betting tips.
The bookies are having trouble separating these teams. Liverpool are narrow favourites in some places while others are offering 6/4 on both the home win and the away win. The draw will be a popular option for some and this completes the match result betting at 13/5.
Both teams were in action in midweek. Liverpool completed a comfortable 2-0 win over Rangers in the Champions League on Wednesday night. A day later, the Gunners hosted Bodo Glimt and went one better, easing past their opponents via a 3-0 scoreline.
Clearly those UK sports betting sites are expecting a close afternoon and they may well be right. It’s a tricky call but, before we make a decision, let’s look at the players who can decide the destiny of the game.
There are two joint favourites at the top of the first goalscorer betting – one from either side. Arsenal’s summer signing Gabriel Jesus has slotted in well at his new club and can be found at 11/2 to open the scoring. Also quoted at 11/2 is Liverpool’s key striker Mohamed Salah.
Moving through the betting, the Liverpool pair of Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota are quoted at 13/2 while Arsenal’s Bukayo Saka is on offer at 9/1. In terms of value from midfield and further back, Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold might just be the one to watch. He opened the scoring with his third goal of the season in that win over Rangers and is available at 30/1 this time.
Away from the player betting, Both Teams to Score can be found for Sunday’s 4.30pm kick-off at best industry odds of 4/7. Anyone who prefers the ‘no’ option on BTTS can stake at a top price of 7/4.
Next up is the Total Combined Goals market where a stake Over the 2.5 line will return at odds of 6/10. By pushing that up one notch, we can get 31/20 on Over 3.5 goals in this game. Those who are anticipating a dour 90 minutes can consider Under 2.5 goals which is quoted at 13/10.
This preview will finish with a look at some Correct Score suggestions. Based on what we’ve seen so far, the bookies are hinting at a tight, higher scoring game and there may be some interest in the 2-2 draw at best industry odds of 12/1. In a lower scoring game, a 1-0 win for Liverpool is quoted at 12/1 while that same price of 12/1 is available for a 1-0 Arsenal victory.
Our EPL Match Preview’s AFC vs LFC Betting Tips & Verdict
Those last two correct score bets give a clue as to what we’re thinking. We agree that this should be tight but it may well be a lower scoring affair. Both Arsenal and Liverpool scored three last time out in the Premier League and they are among the more prolific teams in the division.
When facing off against each other, they may just cancel each other out. The Gunners have kept things tight for much of the campaign and, while Jurgen Klopp’s Reds have been uncharacteristically leaky at the back, they will look to tighten up on Sunday.
A lower scoring Arsenal win is our preference. We’ll start with the home win which carries good odds at 13/8. We also suspect that it will be hard for either team to find the net this time so we’ll add in a ‘no’ stake on Both Teams to Score. At 7/4, this will cover us and still offer an overall profit in the event of Arsenal not scoring.
With Gabriel Jesus at the head of some shrewd summer signings, Arsenal look set finally to reclaim that coveted Champions League place. With Manchester City looking even stronger, we don’t expect the Gunners to win the domestic title, but that impressive start to 2022/23 suggests they have enough to edge past Liverpool in a close encounter. So these are our two betting tips for this AFC vs LFC preview:
- Arsenal to win at 13/8 with Betfred.
- Both Teams to Score – Bet ‘No’ at best odds of 7/4 with BetVictor.
Matt Harris is a football & golf writer for Just Bookies. Other sports in his portfolio of specialities include cricket. Matt has contributed to innumerable large organisations and media brands. These include: Betfair, BetVictor, USA Betting & Unibet. 