The fixture computer has thrown Premier League fans a fat, juicy bone to chew on over the course of the opening weekend, as in addition to the customary excitement caused by the return of competitive play, Arsenal host Liverpool on Sunday in the first titanic battle of the campaign.Both teams have added at least one significant new signing to their squads over the summer, while both have also endured disruptions too: Be it Mamadou Sakho missing flights and being sent home from tour or Arsenal enduring their annual injury crisis all in one position, neither sides pre-season has been quiet.Often, summer tournaments create a delayed effect in preparations, and therefore the Premier Leagues biggest teams can take a little while to get goingSir Alex Fergusons Manchester United were certainly synonymous with thisbut this clash at the Emirates Stadium provides an early litmus testand also presents the opportunity for both sides to throw down an early marker.ArsenalThe concerns for Arsenal heading into this game are plentiful: Defensively theyre lacking numbers and quality, the attack is hindered by the same concerns as last season and theres a midfield quandary for Arsene Wenger to deal with.Due to Euro 2016-enforced breaks and cruel injury luck, the Gunners could potentially be without Laurent Koscielny, Per Mertesacker and Gabriel Paulista for the opener. The Mirrors Adrian Kajumba reportedthat Koscielny could be rushed back as he has resumed training, while Nacho Monreal has experience filling in too.Olivier Giroud and Mesut Ozil have also been granted an extended break so questions abound up top. Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez have both played in pre-season as the centre-forward, and with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Alex Iwobi impressing from the flanks, it wouldnt surprise if the Chilean led the line temporarily.Aaron Ramsey is primed to play as the No. 10, while Mohamed Elnenys good pre-season showings might well nail down the slot alongside big-money acquisition Granit Xhaka.LiverpoolLiverpool signed Loris Karius from Mainz this summer with a view to making him their No. 1, but a broken hand will delay his debut at least a month. The familiar face of Simon Mignolet will therefore resume goalkeeping duties, while fellow social media pariah Alberto Moreno has managed to hang onto his job at left-back, too.Interestingly, the Reds have played almost the entire pre-season in a 4-3-3 shape despite finding their groove in a 4-4-1-1 last season; thats seen Roberto Firminodescribed by Jurgen Klopp as Liverpools standout summer performer, per Richard Morgan of Sky Sportsassume the No. 9 role and new signings Georginio Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane slot into central midfield and on the right flank, respectively. Adam Lallana, meanwhile, has impressed as a No. 8 and could pip Jordan Henderson to the spot alongside Wijnaldum and just ahead of Emre Can.Sakhos mini-exile has opened up the central defence, and based purely on pre-season form, Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren might just get the nod, leaving new signing Joel Matip with a spot on the bench for the time being.Pressure point 1: Press your way to successAs a unit, Liverpool have learnt to press more effectively and viciously over the last 10 months under Klopps tutelage. A change in formation has altered some of the schematics, but more than ever, Firmino leads a charge that seems almost destined to rob you of possession in dangerous areas.Firmino averaged 2.2 tackles per game last season, per WhoScored.com; to put that into perspective, its more than Eric Dier, Alexander Tettey and Joel Ward (all 2.1). It stands to reason that hell achieve an even higher number this year after essentially inheriting the trigger press crown from Lallana.Liverpool pick their moments carefully, then dart forward at speed. Firmino makes the decision, alternating between sitting off and snapping forward, and when he makes a move, the midfield push up in a line to support him. Take this example against Barcelona, for instance:Firmino steps out and pressures the centre-back, and his movement is the trigger for the midfield line to step forward and go man-to-man against their designated opponents (otherwise, the midfield line of four/five sits off and closes space). Wijnaldums pressure on the holding midfielder forces a poor pass into the centre-back, and Coutinho is able to nip in, steal possession and fashion a chance.Firmino, full of energy, will press so high at times hes engaging the goalkeeper with the ball at his feet. This happens more often when the ball is on the Reds right, with Mane joining the press high up and trying to corner a centre-back or full-back on the ball. Given Arsenals onus on building from the back, it seems likely whoever plays LCB and LB for the Gunners will have to deal with constant pressure when playing forward.Pressure point 2: The Moreno ZoneDue to the failed pursuits of, well, every potential left-back target of Liverpool this summerincluding Jonas Hector of FC Cologne and Ben Chilwell of Leicester CityMoreno is still the current incumbent on that flank. It makes that side an obvious target for any team playing against the Reds, as the Spaniard is defensively suspect and often leaves gaping holes for teams to exploit.The Anfield crowds patience with Moreno ran dry in the Europa League last season. In the semi-final the full-back was drawn to the ball on a counter-attack while Denis Suarez attacked the space hed left and set up a goal, while in the final itself, his horrendous attempted clearance and poor attempted tackle paved the way for Mariano to assist Kevin Gameiro's equaliser.This weak point in Liverpools setup is particularly relevant at this time of the year as, in all likelihood, hell come up against AlexOxlade-Chamberlaina man enjoying his customary world-class August. Hes been one of the best pre-season performers across all teams in the division, scoring some nice goals and flashing some incredibly sharp, precise movements.If Arsenal are forced to play quicker, more direct football out of the back due to Liverpools aggressive pressing, the target should be Oxlade-Chamberlain. Space will open up for him in front of or behind Moreno, and if the Gunners use him as an out-ball, it will spark an eye-catching one-on-one battle between the two speedsters.Follow @stighefootballFacebook.com/SamTigheBR
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