Liverpool vs Arsenal: Premier League – teams, start, lineups

Who: Liverpool vs. Arsenal
What: English Premier League
Where: Anfield in Liverpool, United Kingdom
When: Sunday, August 31, at 4:30pm (15:30 GMT)

Follow us for the live stream of our live commentary stream on Al Jazeera Sport starting at 12:30 PM (12:30 GMT).

When Liverpool and Arsenal meet in Merseyside, England on Sunday, they will both work to stay perfect in the Premier League.

Last season, champions Liverpool finished 10 points clear of Arsenal, with the Gunners claiming second place for the third time in a row.

Al Jazeera Sport examines the titanic title fight from the beginning of the season.

What have Liverpool’s Premier League results been so far?

Liverpool’s flawless record has been significantly more adventurous, with twice giving back late leads before scoring match-winning goals later.

In stoppage time, Mohamed Salah scored the winner with a 3-2 victory over Newcastle United last Monday, setting up Rio Ngumoha, 16, in the second half.

The Reds were forced to come back from their opening game against Bournemouth, which gave them a 4-2 home advantage.

Ryan Gravenberch celebrates scoring his team’s first goal at Newcastle [Lee Smith/Reuters]

Who has Arsenal lost this season in the Premier League?

In the new campaign, Arsenal has not conceded, and last Saturday’s 5-0 home victory over Leeds United was a foregone conclusion thanks to Bukayo Saka’s second goal in stoppage time.

Manchester United beat Manchester United 1-0 to start the new year off with a winning start to the season, despite the home team’s goal coming after a mistake by the goalkeeper.

Does Alexander Isak still need to be at Liverpool?

Newcastle striker Alexander Isak has already received one offer from the Reds, and manager Arne Slot has suggested that a second offer might be made.

The transfer saga surrounding Liverpool’s pursuit of Isak led to contentious discussions at the meeting between the two clubs at St James’ Park.

The positive news for Slot is that, as of right now, Slot’s side has no need to rely on the veteran Salah for their attacking production, in large part because of their summer transfer business.

Hugo Ekitike, a former Eintracht Frankfurt player, has two goals and an assist at Anfield, including Liverpool’s second goal at Newcastle.

According to Slot, “I believe he has already had a significant impact in our game’s attacking portion.” “Being involved in build-up situations where he was the one who initiated the attack or was a part of our initiating an attack, as well as scoring goals.” Although [Luis Diaz] was frequently a part of our build-up when he was there, I’m talking about a slight difference over last season.

How does Arsenal’s bid for a second Premier League title look like?

Saka, Kai Havertz, and Martin Odegaard are already dealing with injuries, with the former two expected to miss at least a few weeks.

That will concentrate on recent acquisitions like Noni Madueke, Viktor Gyokeres, and Eberechi Eze, who were part of Arsenal’s effort to combat these kinds of circumstances.

Gyokeres scored against Leeds to earn his first two Premier League goals, including one from the spot. After moving from Crystal Palace for a reported fee of around $80 million this week, Eze hasn’t yet made his debut for the Gunners.

“We lost three of our main players, but that’s the reality,” according to Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta. Three extremely different situations, all in one very unfortunate circumstance. But because of this, we keep insisting that you need a large squad to be able to maintain the level, just like everyone else.

 Premier League - Arsenal v Leeds United - Arsenal's Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring their fifth goal
Viktor Gyokeres celebrates scoring his fifth goal against Leeds United [Andrew Couldridge/Reuters]

What transpired at Anfield last season between Liverpool and Arsenal?

The Gunners have drawn three draws at Anfield before losing six of those games.

Arsenal, who haven’t won at Anfield in the Premier League since 2012, will undoubtedly be at the pump once more.

The winner of the previous year is always the favorite. Someone needs to come and take that crown from them, Arteta remarked about Liverpool’s title victory.

“Very important game. You want to keep sustaining the current momentum. You want to go there on those grounds in opposition to this sort of opposition. The goal is to come out of those big games and win in a really convincing way.

Eze is one player who could be a help in that regard.

You feel at ease when you are his side. He smiles a lot. He separates teams, according to Arteta.

It’s very impressive to watch him ask the right questions, then just let him flow with the ball and his ability to pick passes effortlessly, drive past people effortlessly, and just understand the timing of things.

Head-to-head

The clubs’ 245th meeting is now underway.

In 81 of the encounters, Arsenal claimed victory, while Liverpool claimed victory in 94 of the meetings.

news from the Liverpool team

Liverpool have no additional injury concerns ahead of the game.

Alexis Mac Allister is available after missing the trip to St James’ Park, and Conor Bradley made his first appearance of the season in a substitute role against Newcastle.

Virgil van Dijk was tackled in the match, but Anthony Gordon was cleared to play for Arsenal.

news from the Arsenal team

According to manager Mikel Arteta, skipper Martin Odegaard is a doubt for the Premier League game while forward Bukayo Saka and Kai Havertz will be sidelined for many weeks due to their injuries.

Arteta claimed Saka injured his hamstring during Arsenal’s 5-0 home win over Leeds United. He won’t need surgery, which forced him to play for months the previous season.

“Bukayo is doing better, but he will probably be missing for a few weeks,” he says. No surgery, according to Arteta, who told reporters that it isn’t as bad as the previous one.

Let’s see how he develops over the coming days and weeks, repeat the scan, and see where he is headed. “Of course, it’s very unfortunate to pick it up, but it’s on the other side,” he said.

Arsenal confirmed that Havertz had undergone minor surgery after suffering a knee injury during their opening season opener against Manchester United.

“I don’t know how many months it will take, but I believe it will be weeks.” Havertz, who also had surgery on a hamstring injury earlier this year, is “very unfortunate and very sad for him,” Arteta said.

He recovered from the previous one very well, despite never having been injured before, and this is what happened.

However, we must accept that this is our profession. Although we lost a significant player for many, many weeks, surgery was the right course of action.

Arteta said he is unsure whether his skipper will play a role in the win over Leeds, and that Odegaard was also substituted early because of a shoulder issue.

“We don’t know yet,” He said he hasn’t trained yet, but if he does, it will be tomorrow.

Ben White and Christian Norgaard, both of whom are new recruits, are also being watched.

Liverpool had a starting lineup in mind.

Alisson, Bradley, Bradley, Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez, Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo, Ekitike, and Van Dijk are just a few examples.

Arsenal had a starting lineup in mind.

Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Calafiori, Eze, Zubimendi, Rice, Madueke, Gyokeres, Martinelli, and others

Palestinian Authority urges US to reinstate Abbas’s visa before UNGA

Just weeks before the Palestinian leader was scheduled to attend the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s office has urged the US to reverse its decision to revoke his visa.

Prior to the UN headquarters’ high-level meetings in the coming months, the Palestinian presidency expressed “astonishment” at Washington’s decision on Friday to revoke the visas for Abbas and 80 other Palestinian officials.

Abbas currently leads the Palestinian delegation and has frequently addressed the General Assembly.

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, Abbas’s spokesman, told The Associated Press on Saturday, pleading that the decision “will only increase tension and escalation.”

“We’ve been in touch with Arab and foreign nations since yesterday, particularly those who are directly concerned with this issue. According to Abu Rudeineh, this work will continue nonstop.

The spokesperson also urged other nations to press US President Donald Trump’s administration to reverse its decision, particularly those that have organized a high-level conference to discuss reviving the two-state solution.

France and Saudi Arabia are hosting the conference, which is scheduled for September 22.

ideologically driven

The Trump administration’s visa restrictions come as the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip’s devastating war against Palestinians are under increasing scrutiny.

A growing number of nations have announced plans to recognize an independent Palestinian state at the UN in September as a result of the deadly attacks.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) were accused of “refusing their commitments” and “undermining the prospects for peace,” according to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who defended the revocations on Friday.

Rubio also accused the Palestinian Authority of engaging in “lawfare campaigns,” including those that involve holding Israelis accountable for violations of the occupied West Bank and Gaza.

However, Matt Duss, executive vice president of the US-based Center for International Policy, claimed that the Trump administration’s decision to revoke the visas “clearly violates diplomatic protocol.”

The US is intended to provide UN member-state representatives and officials with visas to travel to New York City’s headquarters as a host nation.

Duss told Al Jazeera, “What’s happening here is obviously ideologically driven.”

According to him, “some people in the Trump administration are closely aligned with the right-wing Israeli government, and their goal is to simply drop the Palestinian liberation movement from the international agenda.”

They “do not recognize the Palestinian people’s right to a state,” according to the statement from New York. “They are both trying to prevent that on the ground in Palestine.”

criticism from Europe

The European Union’s foreign policy representative added that the group is urging Washington to reconsider its visa denials.

Following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen on Saturday, Kaja Kallas stated, “We all urge that this decision be reconsidered in light of the existing agreements between the UN and its host country.”

Jean-Noel Barrot, the French envoy to France, added that access restrictions for the General Assembly are unavoidable.

According to Barrot, “the United Nations headquarters is a sanctuary for peace, where conflicts are settled,” and that is true.

Meanwhile, Pedro Sanchez, the prime minister of Spain, said he spoke with Abbas on Saturday to “exprim his strong support” for the “unjust” visa suspensions.

Yemen’s Houthis confirm Israeli strike killed group’s prime minister

Developing a Story
The prime minister of the group’s government was killed earlier this week in Sanaa, according to Yemen’s Houthis&nbsp.

According to a statement released on Saturday, the Houthis claimed that Ahmed al-Rahawi and several other ministers were killed in a Thursday strike in Sanaa.

At a workshop, Al-Rahawi, who served as prime minister in the country’s divided regions, was targeted along with other Houthi-led government members, according to the statement.

Without providing further information, the Houthis claimed that “several” other ministers were killed in the Israeli attack.

As a result of Israel’s ongoing conflict with Gaza, tensions in the area continue to rise.

In a statement, the Israeli military said its forces struck a “military target of the Houthis terrorist regime in the Sanaa area on Thursday.”

Translation: We make known on Thursday the martyrdom of the government of change and construction’s prime minister, mujahid Ahmed Ghaleb al-Rahawi, along with several of his fellow ministers.

In a move it claims is a show of support for Palestinians in Gaza, Israel has repeatedly targeted Houthi positions in recent months as the Yemeni group has launched attacks on Israel and on Western vessels in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

Israeli attacks won’t stop its military operations, the group has said on numerous occasions.

Following the deadly Israeli attack, the Houthi presidency announced on Saturday that the country’s institutions and government would still be able to carry out their duties.

In its statement, it stated that “the blood of the great martyrs will provide fuel and a motivator to follow the same course.”

How many people died as a result of the airstrike on Thursday are still undetermined.

The Israeli army attacked the entire Houthi cabinet, including the prime minister and 12 other ministers, according to unnamed sources, according to an article in Israeli media on Friday.

Health officials reported that the attack occurred four days after Israeli attacks on Sanaa on August 24 resulted in the deaths of 10 people and more than 90 injuries. In that attack, the Israeli military claimed to have targeted the presidential palace and Houthi military installations.

Former Ukrainian parliament speaker shot dead in Lviv

As a search was being conducted for the attacker, a well-known Ukrainian politician and former parliament speaker was shot dead in western Ukraine, according to officials.

Andriy Parubiy, who previously served as the country’s national security and defense council’s secretary, was killed on Saturday in Lviv.

A gunman shot Parubiy several times, killing him “on the spot,” according to the Prosecutor General’s office. According to the report, the attacker fled and a manhunt was launched.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the president of Ukraine, expressed his condolences to Parubiy’s family and loved ones and called the killing a “horrendous murder.”

Zelenskyy wrote on social media that “all necessary forces and means are involved in the investigation and search for the killer.”

Parubiy, 54, was a member of the parliamentary body from April 2016 to August 2019.

He also spearheaded the 2014 and 2013 mass protests in Ukraine that urged closer ties with the EU.

A potential motive for the fatal shooting was not immediately made public by Ukrainian authorities.

Finding the killer and establishing the circumstances surrounding the attack were crucial, according to Lviv’s mayor, Andriy Sadovyi.

In a nation at war, where there are no absolute safe havens, he wrote on Telegram.

During the 2013-2014 protest movement, colleagues in parliament and the government praised Parubiy’s contribution to Ukraine’s fight for sovereignty and independence.

Petro Poroshenko, the former president of Ukraine, claimed in a Telegram post that his death was “a shot fired at the heart of Ukraine.”

“Andriy was a wonderful man and friend in person. He praised Parubiy’s contribution to the development of the Ukrainian army, blaming the fact that they seek revenge and that is what they are afraid of.

Parubiy was referred to as “a patriot and statesman who made a significant contribution to the defense of Ukraine’s freedom, independence, and sovereignty,” according to Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha.

On Telegram, Sybiha wrote that “he was a man who rightfully belongs in the history books.”

On August 30 in Lviv, Ukraine, a police officer patrols the location of Parubiy’s murder [Roman Baluk/Reuters]

China supports UN’s global role, Xi tells Guterres before SCO summit

According to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, Chinese President Xi Jinping has stated to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that China supports the global organization, which plays a key role in international affairs.

As the UN representative traveled to China for the 2025 Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit, Xi and Guterres exchanged this message on Saturday.

President Xi emphasized that China will continue to be a trustworthy UN partner.

Guterres, on the other hand, said that maintaining China’s support is crucial.

In Tianjin, northern China, will host the 25th SCO summit and the “SCO Plus” meeting, showcasing Global South solidarity.

The high-level gathering comes as Russia’s conflict with Russia and the United States escalates, along with Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its growing assault on the occupied West Bank, security concerns in South Asia and the Asia Pacific region, particularly between Thailand and Cambodia, and Donald Trump’s global trade conflict.

The summit, which is China’s fifth annual SCO summit, will be presided over by Xi as the rotating chair.

The summit will feature leaders from more than 20 nations and 10 international organization leaders.

Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkey, Narendra Modi, the president of Iran, Masood Pezeshkian, and Shehbaz Sharif, the prime minister of Pakistan.

On the day of the crucial summit, Xi will meet Erdogan.

Promoting the “Shanghai Spirit,” improving internal mechanisms, and fostering multilateral cooperation in areas like security, economics, and culture are on the summit’s agenda.

Other anticipated outcomes include the approval of a strategy for the upcoming ten years and the joint signing of the new Tianjin Declaration.

Apart from adopting a number of outcome documents to strengthen security, economic, people-to-people, and cultural cooperation, the summit will also publish statements commemorating the 80th anniversary of the UN’s victory in World War II and its victory over Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.

The SCO is a political and security alliance that was established in 2001 and includes Belarus, China, Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.

The rebellion of my daughter in besieged Gaza

My 30-year-old daughter Yasmin, who has special needs, approached me in our small room at the school shelter a few days ago. Her movements were determined but gentle. And I could see her joyous, glittering eyes. She was having a difficult time speaking, so I paid close attention.

“Dad…, I ate…chocolate”! She triumphantly said.

As I tried to remember what I had just heard, my mind began to race. Yasmin received chocolate from where?

Yasmin has spent many years in a place with its own rhythm, language of affection, and wonder. Unfortunately, she developed a developmental disability as a newborn when she was just four months old due to a severe fever. Additionally, she underwent lung surgery in Egypt at the age of seven, which further impacted her development and health.

We made every effort to make Yasmin’s life as comfortable as possible. We provided her with a computer, a tablet, coloring books, building blocks, teddies, balloons, and even a swing suspended from the ceiling.

We also spoke with doctors who had prescribed Yasmin’s unique medication. For her, we planned a variety of indoor and outdoor activities. Her favorite game, Hide and Seek, gave her thrills of excitement.

Thankfully, we were able to manage Yasmin’s condition for many years.

Our beautiful home was transformed into a pile of rubble in October of this year by an Israeli warplane that flew over it. Our belongings and resources, including Yasmin’s kingdom (her room), completely disappeared.

We have since been forced to flee, finding refuge in abandoned schools, and working as shelters.

Yasmin sleeps on a thin mattress in crammed conditions where we are currently staying. There is no comfort, no quiet, or privacy.

The shelter’s work has been exhausting and tiring. She needs assistance with getting dressed, using the restrooms, and entering the chaotic courtyard. Even a few toys and coloring pencils have been difficult to get her. Additionally, it has been difficult to locate her medications.

Yasmin is a charming and friendly girl. Interesting is that people don’t have much trouble getting used to how her tongue moves when using words. She occasionally acts inappropriately, which annoys people. However, the majority of people understand her.

Yasmin is also very generous. She frequently eats with her friends, and occasionally she insists on getting presents for them. We decorated a tray of candies last year with the message “Eid is happier with Yasmin” and placed them on top of each. She proudly distributed the presents, enhancing the shelter’s gloomy atmosphere.

During Eid Al Adha in June 2024, Yasmin distributes candies to students at a school shelter [Photo by Hassan ElNabih]

Unfortunately, the situation has only gotten worse lately. Gaza Strip’s stricter military occupation has prevented the delivery of basic food, fuel, and medical and sanitation supplies. For months, the markets have not found any trace of many things. No fruits, no meat, no fish, no chicken, no eggs, no milk, no sugar, and no chocolate!

Everyone in Gaza has had a serious issue because of the lack of food. Everyone I know has a much thinner body, sagging skin, and a weakened body. We’ve experienced dizziness occasionally in our marriage.

Yasmin has been particularly vulnerable. She has lost a lot of weight, and her health has declined.

Nearly 12, 000 Palestinian children under the age of five were formally diagnosed as malnourished in July.

A “man-made famine” is officially occurring in Gaza City, according to the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) on August 22 and a need for an immediate, scale-based response. The Middle East’s first ever famine was declared as a result of the report.

More than 500,000 people in the Gaza Strip are currently at or near catastrophic levels of famine, according to the IPC. This represents roughly a quarter of the population. By the end of September, that number is anticipated to rise to more than 640, 000 people, while those who are in dire need of food insecurity are expected to reach 1.14 million.

More than 315 Palestinians have already died as a result of forced starvation, half of them children, compared to the over 62, 000 killed and 140, 000 injured in the ongoing conflict.

A collage of two photos showing the same young woman before and during the genocide in Gaza
[Photo by Hassan ElNabih, the author’s daughter before and during the genocide in Gaza]

Yasmin surprisingly stood before me and carried a secret at this moment. She declared she had consumed chocolate with a smile on her face!

I turned to her, irate. Yasmin, you ate chocolate, Yasmin. Exactly where? Who gave it to you?”

She smiled and had more joy as she saw my confusion. No, no, Dad, she said softly as she shook her head. I ate no chocolate, no. I said, “I dreamed”!

Yasmin and I jumped up and exchanged hugs, burst out laughing, louder and longer than I had in months. However, I was extremely tired and sad during my laughter.

Yasmin had a dream about something sweet in the middle of the horrors of war and widespread famine. And she was incredibly delighted by the dream’s sweetness.

Yasmin, a young woman with special needs, was unaware of the dream’s political significance. She was unaware that her dream, in which she experienced an unreachable sensation, was an act of defiance of Israel’s atrocities and a rebellious desire to live peacefully and dignified.