By Gary Fulcher and Daniel Rhodes.
Liverpool kick off their Premier League campaign with a trip to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal on Sunday: 4pm kick off UK time. The only previous occasion that Liverpool have opened their Premier League campaign against the Gunners came six years ago when they met at Anfield during the 2010/11 season, with the match ending in a 1-1 draw.
Liverpool have brought in seven new signings with summer arrivals Sadio Mané, Georginio Wijnaldum, Loris Karius, Ragnar Klavan and Alexander Manninger, joining the duo of Joel Matip and Marko Grujic whose deals were agreed back in January.
Several players have also permanently left the club – Jordan Ibe (Bournemouth), Joe Allen (Stoke), Martin Skrtel (Fenerbahce), Brad Smith (Bournemouth), João Teixeira (Porto) and Kolo Toure (Celtic), as well as Jose Enrique, Jordan Rossiter (Rangers), Sergi Canos (norwich) and jerome Sinclair (Watford). Jon Flanagan (Burnley), Danny Ward (Huddersfield) and Ádám Bogdán (Wigan) other members of the first team squad also leaving albeit on loan.
Last season’s runners up Arsenal meanwhile have brought in three new signings – Granit Xhaka (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Takuma Asano (Sanfrecce Hiroshima) and Rob Holding (Bolton) – while the club released three midfielders aged over 30: Tomás Rosicky, Mathieu Flamini and Mikel Arteta after their contracts weren’t renewed.
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