Liverpool hosts Arsenal, with Tottenham ready to pounce

The week’s top Premier League match is at Anfield tomorrow (11.30pm, Malaysian time), with last season’s champion facing its runner-up. Liverpool, which claimed its record-equalling 20th league title last season, is coming off a last-gasp victory over Newcastle. It will be fired up to welcome Arsenal, which strolled to a thumping win over Leeds.

Both teams have six points from two games. Arsenal tops the table after scoring six goals without conceding, its first time leading since April 2023.

Liverpool is third, having scored seven, but conceding four.

Tottenham, also on six points, sit second with a goal difference of plus five, having yet to concede. It faces Bournemouth on today (10pm), knowing it can go top – for 24 hours at least, or longer if there is a stalemate at Anfield.

It has been a dream start for Thomas Frank (main image), who succeeded Ange Postecoglou as Tottenham boss, despite the Australian helping Spurs win the UEFA Europa League last season – the club’s first trophy in 17 years.

Frank has matched Arne Slot (Liverpool) and Pep Guardiola (Manchester City) in winning back-to-back Premier League games in the shortest time among the big six clubs.

Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca needed five games to achieve the same, while Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta took nine. Manchester United’s Ruben Amorim, meanwhile, has yet to manage it after 29 games.

Frank could move for RB Leipzig’s £60 million-rated Xavi Simons, as Tottenham is in desperate need of an attacking midfielder. He is also interested in two other playmakers – Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche and Como’s Nico Paz – as well as Manchester City winger Savinho.

The Brazilian, however, is unlikely to leave the club he only joined a year ago.

Frank, who kept Brentford in the Premier League on a shoestring budget, now has a bigger budget to turn Tottenham into title contenders.

But it is its London neighbour, Arsenal, which feels the time is ripe to regain the league crown after finishing as runner-up for three consecutive seasons.

It has spent £263 million on seven players – Eberechi Eze (Crystal Palace), Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting Lisbon), Noni Madueke (Chelsea), Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad), Christian Norgaard (Brentford), Cristhian Mosquera (Valencia) and Kepa Arrizabalaga (Chelsea).

It is also on the verge of signing Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie for £51 million. However, it has recouped less than £10 million in player sales.

In contrast, Liverpool has splurged £317 million on Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen), Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth), Hugo Ekitike (Eintracht Frankfurt) and Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia) for the first team.

It also added Armin Pecsi (Puskas Akademia), Freddie Woodman (Preston North End), Will Wright (Salford City) and Giovanni Leoni (Parma) to its squad.

Player sales have brought in £207 million, giving Liverpool a net spend of ‘only’ £110 million.

Ekitike has hit the ground running, scoring in three consecutive games – including the Community Shield two weeks ago.

Last season, both Liverpool and Arsenal matches ended 2-2, and it could well be another stalemate on Merdeka Day.

Fixtures (Malaysian time)

Aug 30 Chelsea vs Fulham (7.30pm) Wolves vs Everton (10pm) Tottenham vs Bournemouth (10pm) Manchester United vs Burnley (10pm) Sunderland vs Brentford (10pm)

Aug 31 Leeds vs Newcastle (12.30am) Brighton vs Manchester City (9pm) Nottingham Forest vs West Ham (9pm) Liverpool vs Arsenal (11.30pm)

Sept 1 Aston Villa vs Crystal Palace (2am)