Tomorrow will bring a certain ambivalence to Anfield on an afternoon when there ought only to be unmitigated excitement at the start of a new campaign. The ownership issues linger yet supporters who yearn for the club to be bought must also wish the best for the manager Roy Hodgson. However, the visitors could also be uneasy since Arsène Wenger has not yet made the signings to give Arsenal a greater durability and key players such as Cesc Fábregas and Robin van Persie have yet to reach optimum fitness. Kevin McCarra
Venue Anfield, Sunday 4pm
Tickets £43-45 (0151 263 9199)
Last season Liverpool 1 Arsenal 2
Referee M Atkinson
This season's matches 30 Y123, R5, 4.27 cards per game
Odds Liverpool 6-4 Arsenal 2-1 Draw 23-10
Liverpool
Subs from Cavalieri, Aquilani, Torres, Aurélio, Pacheco, Kyrgiakos, Kuyt, Babel, Mascherano, Wilson, Spearing, Poulsen, Shelvey, Kelly, Ayala, Amoo, El Zhar
Doubtful Reina (shoulder), Skrtel (ankle), Torres (groin)
Injured None
Suspended None
Form guide n/a
Disciplinary record (last season) Y56 R5
Leading scorer (last season) Torres 18
Arsenal
Subs from Fabianski, Gibbs, Eboué, Song, Frimpong, Wilshere, Rosicky, Lansbury, Emmanuel-Thomas, Van Persie, Denílson
Doubtful Denílson (abdominal), Diaby (calf), Song (calf), Fábregas, Van Persie (both match fitness)
Injured Bendtner (groin, Sep), Djourou (hamstring, Sep), Ramsey (broken leg, Nov)
Suspended None
Form guide n/a
Disciplinary record (last season) Y56 R1
Leading scorer (last season) Fábregas 15
Match pointers
• Liverpool have won only three of their last 18 top-flight ecounters with Arsenal
• Andrei Arshavin has scored five goals from just six shots on target in two visits to Anfield in the Premier League
• Liverpool hit the woodwork more times (16) than any other side in 2009-10
• Since January, Arsenal have failed to win a league away game without the opposition having a player sent off
• Liverpool v Arsenal has featured more hat-tricks scored (five) than any other fixture in the history of the Premier League