Liverpool Already Facing Premier League Title Six-Pointer – Opinion | OneFootball

Liverpool vs Arsenal: A Must-Win for Slot?

Liverpool’s thrilling late win at St James’ Park may have extended their perfect start, but it hardly dispelled concerns after a game where the Reds were bullied and harassed throughout. For long periods against Newcastle, the champions looked vulnerable, requiring a stoppage-time goal from teenager Rio Ngumoha to secure all three points, very much against the run of play. That drama has only intensified the spotlight on Arne Slot as Liverpool prepares for the first true blockbuster of the season: Arsenal’s visit to Anfield on Sunday.

Both sides arrive with two wins from two, both are continuing their respective summer spending sprees, and both are tipped to fight for this season’s Premier League crown. Yet circumstances suggest this fixture carries more weight for Liverpool. A home game against their nearest rival in week three is the kind of test that can either affirm belief or expose fragility. If Slot is to create distance early in the campaign, this feels like a contest he cannot afford to let slip. The set pieces and direct approach may mirror that of Newcastle last Monday, however, the firepower of the North London giants is another level altogether.

Two Giants, Two Different Gaps

The stakes are heightened by how the two clubs have built for this season, as both clubs have invested heavily since the window opened. Liverpool has invested in reshaping a squad that needed renewal, with Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike already integrated into the starting XI, and Milos Kerkez bedding in at left-back. Slot’s tactical adjustments have given Liverpool more fluidity going forward, but they remain prone to lapses at the back, perhaps due to structural changes. Four goals conceded across two games tell their own story, and the Newcastle clash revealed how easily momentum can swing against them.

Arsenal, meanwhile, have made bold moves of its own. The £68 million capture of Eberechi Eze offers them a new creative outlet, while Martin Ødegaard’s shoulder issue leaves questions about who will dictate rhythm at Anfield. More damaging still is Bukayo Saka’s absence, with the winger sidelined for several weeks by a hamstring injury. Without his directness on the right, Arsenal may struggle to stretch Liverpool’s back line in the way they usually do. I suspect that a powerful game plan will be brought to Merseyside, especially after seeing how Eddie Howe set up his relentless pressing machine at St James Park.

The contrast is striking: Arsenal arrive slightly undermanned, while Liverpool are almost at full strength, but it is the champions who still look less assured structurally. This is precisely why the match carries so much weight for Slot, who must show that the squad alterations were warranted. A convincing home performance against their nearest rivals could begin to erase doubts, but anything less invites criticism that the summer rebuild has yet to settle. The vision must always look to the future, though not at the detriment of the present.

Statement Opportunity or Early Stumble?

The timing of the fixture is what makes it feel so defining. This is not simply about three points, but about narrative control. Slot has overseen two wins already, but both carried caveats and disheartening passages of play. The Bournemouth opener showed defensive naivety, while the Newcastle game relied on chaos and resilience. Neither offered the controlled, dominant football that Slot was hired to deliver. Anfield on Sunday represents the chance to finally show authority — to manage a top-level opponent, keep composure, and impose Liverpool’s game plan rather than react to unfolding drama.

For Arsenal, there is slightly less pressure. Even in defeat, they can point to injuries and a squad still knitting together on their travels, after a record-breaking summer. For Liverpool, excuses do not carry the same weight and nor should they. They are the reigning champions, at home, largely fit, and with expectations reset by their spending. Anything short of victory would feel like a wasted opportunity to seize early momentum and put their rivals on the back foot.

That is why this game has taken on the feel of a must-win. Slot’s Liverpool does not need to be perfect this early in the season, but they do need to show signs of growth and control, especially after an inconsistent fortnight. Winning ugly against Newcastle was acceptable, given the Alexander Isak situation stirring the north east into frenzy. Doing the same against Arsenal at Anfield would leave doubts lingering. A composed, commanding win, however, would serve notice to the rest of the league: Liverpool are not clinging to their crown, they are ready to defend it on the front foot.

Virgil van Dijk was imperious the other night, something he may have to repeat once again.