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Eight of the Arsenal team that started the FA Cup final four weeks ago are named again. Not here at all this time: Dani Ceballos, Nicolas Pepe and Alexandre Lacazette.
James Milner captains Liverpool in the absence of the injured Jordan Henderson. Trent Alexander-Arnold is also unfit; he’s replaced at right-back by Neco Williams.
Arsenal: Martinez, Bellerin, Luiz, Holding, Tierney, Maitland-Niles, Elneny, Xhaka, Saka, Nketiah, Aubameyang.
Subs: Leno, Cedric, Saliba, Kolasinac, Olayinka, Willock, Nelson, Smith Rowe, John-Jules.
Liverpool: Alisson, Williams, Gomez, van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Milner, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Firmino.
Subs: Adrian, Keita, Grujic, Jones, Minamino, Tsimikas, Brewster, Elliott, Koumetio.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Here’s the legendary Guardian football correspondent David Lacey on Liverpool in 1979: “Their strength remains in their teamwork and in their ability to get the basic details of passing and positioning right for most of the time. When they have got the ball they consistently make space, when they lose possession, space disappears.” There you have it: the laconic Bob Paisley and the gregarious Jurgen Klopp, two peas in a pod.
Liverpool dominated Arsenal in that year’s Charity Shield. Alan Hansen channelled his inner Franz Beckenbauer, Terry McDermott scored twice, and a swaggering Kenny Dalglish display was topped when he sent Steve Walford off to the wrong fire before slotting past Pat Jennings. Liverpool won 3-1, payback for defeat in a marathon FA Cup semi the season before.
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