Andoni Iraola has backed youth today, starting Trey Nyoni against the champions. Dominik Szoboszlai is back on the bench but maybe not 100 percent fit. But Ryan Gravenberch is and he has been overlooked for the youngster.

Arsenal have some welcome news with Noni Madueke passed fit to play, made all the more significant as Bukayo Saka is injured and Max Dowman banned. With Christos Tzolis, who was injured on international duty with Greece, back too for his first club appearance since 19 September, Mikel Arteta has two wingers.

Winger Christos Tzolis has returned for his appearance in seven games having injured a hamstring on international duty.

Only Jurrien Timber and Kai Havertz retain their places from the team that lost in the EFL Cup to Fleetwood midweek, while Riccardo Calafiori and Bruno Guimaraes start having missed the league win against Everton eight days ago.

Noni Madueke is also passed fit.

Trey Nyoni starts for Liverpool as Iraola makes seven changes from the midweek EFL Cup win against Chelsea. Munoz and Szoboszlai are named on the bench following injuries.

When Andoni Iraola and Mikel Arteta talked on 20 May, each could praise his boyhood friend for a historic achievement. While Arteta had just won Arsenal’s first Premier League title for 22 years, the kingmaker was Iraola, whose Bournemouth team had held Manchester City, leaving the Gunners four points clear with a game to go. “We spoke the next day just to congratulate each other because it was massive for us as we got Europe,” Iraola said.

If Iraola was an unwitting ally to Arteta then, now he assumes the role of obstacle to his fellow Basque’s ambitions. It is not merely because he has three victories in their last four meetings. “It doesn’t mean a lot,” said Iraola; now he has different players and a different team. Then he faced Arsenal as underdogs, now perhaps as equals.

But there is a school of thought that, if Arsenal do not retain their title, Liverpool are the likeliest champions. That mantle would rest with Manchester City, but the threat of a sizeable points deduction hangs over them. Liverpool have already lost to City at Anfield; beat Arsenal, as they did last year, and the gap between is reduced to three points. Lose and a nine-point deficit could look too big to overhaul.

Arsenal will return to the summit if they avoid defeat following Manchester City’s defeat at home to Brighton on Saturday.

Liverpool can climb back above Chelsea and into fourth with a win. Should it end level they will still be behind Xabi Alonso’s side on goal difference.

Referee: Andy Madley.

Assistants: Nick Hopton, Tim Wood.

Fourth official: Tom Bramall.

VAR: Stuart Attwell. Assistant VAR: James Bell.

And whatever other big-match pre-game cliche you would like to apply!