LONDON :Late summer blockbuster, early title skirmish, clash of the big spenders - call it what you will but Sunday's showdown between Premier League champions Liverpool and Arsenal could shape the narrative for the long months ahead.
Autumn is still a way off and both sides will have 35 games more to play after the dust settles at Anfield but the chance to land an early psychological upper-cut on a main title rival will be forefront in the minds of Arne Slot and Mikel Arteta.
Both sides have taken maximum points from their opening two games but the manner in which they have achieved that makes Sunday's meeting all the more intriguing.
Liverpool have banged in seven goals in two games but their new recruits have had mixed starts and defensively they have looked unusually vulnerable with four goals conceded.
Hugo Ekitike has hit the ground running, scoring in the wins against Bournemouth and Monday's rip-roaring and rather fortuitous 3-2 victory at Newcastle United.
But 116 million pounds ($157 million) signing Florian Wirtz is still adjusting to the sheer pace and physicality of England's top flight while new left back Milos Kerkez has struggled.
In contrast Arsenal have been water-tight at the back, enjoying two clean sheets and their new-look forward line spearheaded by Viktor Gyokeres sparked into life in the 5-0 thrashing of Leeds United last week.
Arsenal's lack of heavy-metal firepower has been identified as the reason they have finished second in a succession of two-horse Premier League title races and a fair chunk of the 250 million pounds invested in the summer has been to address that.
The capture of Sweden international Gyokeres, together with last week's audacious swoop for Crystal Palace's Eberechi Eze have given
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