Liverpool welcome Arsenal to Anfield in an eagerly anticipated Premier League fixture on Sunday afternoon.
"Always the bridesmaid, never the bride" read a banner in the Kop when Arne Slot's Reds welcomed the Gunners in gameweek 36 of the 2024/25 season, weeks after Liverpool lifted the Premier League trophy for a record-levelling 20th time.
That flag will have to stay at home after Mikel Arteta's Arsenal won the top-flight last season, finishing 25 points above the Mersyside outfit and simultaneously ending their 22-year wait for the Premier League.
This weekend's encounter promises to deliver -- with Andoni Iraola's side no doubt looking to capitalise on injuries in the Arsenal camp -- and we've put together a combined XI featuring the current crop of players from both clubs, based on their performances so far in the 2026/27 season.
GK: David Raya
While for some years Alisson Becker was deemed by most as the greatest goalkeeper in the Premier League, it feels like the baton has been passed to Arsenal’s David Raya.
Replacing Aaron Ramsdale with the Spaniard will go down as one of the most important on field decisions in Mikel Arteta’s reign, with Raya showcasing exceptional shot-stopping and ball-playing abilities since being assigned as the number one in between the sticks.
RB: Ronald Araujo
Relief amongst Barcelona fans when Ronald Araujo completed the temporary switch to Liverpool is proof of what was expected of the Uruguayan in the Premier League, but the versatile defender has impressed beyond belief.
Andoni Iraola’s seemed lack of faith in Jeremie Frimpong – combined with Conor Bradley’s long-term injury – has seen Araujo deployed at right-back, a role that he is no stranger to. Providing a combination of defensive solidity and raw tenacity, the Kop have already fallen in love with a loan player.
CB: Jeremy Jacquet
Jeremy Jacquet’s place in this team over Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is proof of the quality that the Frenchman possesses.
Boasting the explosive pace and physical dominance of predecessor Ibrahima Konate and the distinctive calmness and ball-playing capabilities of his defensive Dutch partner, the 20-time top-flight winners will not have to worry about the right-sided centre back position for years to come as long as Jacquet keeps performing at this level.
CB: Gabriel
Arsenal’s defensive unit has been unrivalled for so long now that they maybe don’t get the credit that they deserve, but it’d be rude not to commend the Brazilian brute force that is Gabriel.
Perceived as a highly raw defensive prospect when joining the North London outfit in 2020, Gabriel has swifty developed into one of the finest central defenders that the Premier League has to offer – posing a constant threat from attacking set pieces and a match for any centre forward that he faces.
LB: Riccardo Calafiori
No one has ever doubted Riccardo Calafiori’s quality – ever since he made a name for himself at the Euros in 2024 – but it’s in the 2026/27 campaign where he has set himself out above the rest in his position.
Recognised for his excellent start when winning Arsenal’s Player of the Month for August, the Italian has taken up a free-roaming role at left-back – scoring once, assisting twice and proving habitually solid in the defensive third.
CM: Alexis Mac Allister
Alexis Mac Allister expressed his disappointment that he hadn’t received a new contract offer before Liverpool welcomed Atletico de Madrid in the UEFA Champions League in September, but he surely won’t be waiting long for a proposal from the club if he maintains his impressive form.
With no traditional number six present at the club – and Iraola primarily opting for a double pivot in the engine room – the Argentine has taken up a more defensive role in Liverpool’s midfield, bringing stability and World Cup-winning quality to the Reds’ midfield.
CM: Declan Rice
There’s few, if any, teams in world football that Declan Rice doesn’t make, and he’s one of the first names on the teamsheet in our Liverpool v Arsenal combined XI.
Boasting a Steven Gerrard-like engine with a David Beckham-esque delivery, there really is no ceiling for the London-born midfielder, who has added goals and assists to his skillset since making the nine-figure switch from West Ham.
AM: Martin Odegaard
While Florian Wirtz has shown glimpses of quality in a Liverpool shirt, he’s yet to demonstrate why the Merseyside outfit paid £116m for his signature, and it’s for that reason that midfield maestro Martin Odegaard makes the team.
The Arsenal captain has never been a player defined by his attacking output, but he drew unsurprising criticism when scoring just once in his side’s 2025/26 Premier League-winning term. He’s doubled his goal tally already this campaign and is showing more signs of the player that has won the Gunners’ Player of the Season on two occasions since signing in 2021.
RW: Bukayo Saka
Bukayo Saka won’t be available against Liverpool after sustaining a hamstring injury in Arsenal’s draw with Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League – an almighty blow for both him and the club – but he makes the XI regardless after an impressive start to the season.
Finding the net on four occasions in all competitions so far this campaign, Arteta will sorely miss the Hale End graduate on the right-flank and Noni Madueke will have to step forward to aid the Gunners in attack.
ST: Alexander Isak
After an injury-plagued debut season for Liverpool, Alexander Isak is starting to demonstrate why the Reds spent a Premier League record £125m to sign the Swedish frontman from Newcastle.
While – similarly to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland – Isak has often been ineffective in the Reds’ build up, something that Iraola will look to rectify, he has been prolific in front of goal, finding the net on six occasions in seven Premier League appearances this season.
LW: Cody Gakpo
Selecting a left-winger in this team is no easy feat for a number of reasons. Arsenal’s Christos Tzolis started the season well but has more recently been sidelined with a thigh injury, Victor Munoz and Rio Ngumoha have failed to secure a regular spot off the left with an abundance of talent present in Liverpool’s attack, while Bradley Barcola’s sample size is notably smaller after making his full debut in gameweek 4.
It’s Cody Gakpo who gets the nod to complete a star-studded three. The Dutchman – who was close to an £85m move to Manchester City in the summer – has not been fazed by the arrivals of Barcola or Munoz, nor the emergence of fan favourite Ngumoha, recording eight goal contributions in nine games so far this season.
