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Old rivals meet in quest for Champions League qualification

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A new season and new set of challenges await both Arsenal and Liverpool in 2011/12. Financial outlay between the sides could not be more different, on one hand we have a side spending near to £100m in a desperate attempt to revive their Champions League qualifying ambitions while on the other there is Arsene Wenger, reluctant to spend much to the dismay of the clubs fans. Never has a Barclays Premier League match so early into a season meant so much.

A match which will determine one and others season hinges on the two clubs main protagonists in Robin Van Persie and Luis Suarez, doesn’t it just wet the appetite? It is hard to believe that North London and Merseyside once played out a title showdown back in 1990, and then it was about excitement, unforeseen comebacks and late drama. We were all glued, now it’s about money and obtaining that final elusive Champions League place.

Two clubs both of whom trophy less since 2005 and 2006 respectively. Two FA Cup wins on penalties to show and two heartbreaking Champions League Final defeats to the mighty Barcelona and AC Milan since. Those heady days in Athens and Paris seem a long way away now. At least Arsenal minus their departed Spanish talisman are still in the competition, only just. A 1-0 first leg lead thanks to Theo Walcott to take to Italy next week against an organised yet ageing Udinese side is only slender and it appears the tie has a few more twists and turns yet you feel. Liverpool head to the capital on the back of a disappointing home draw to Sunderland and will need to improve rather quickly if they are to gain their first win at a ground which has become a particular ‘bogey’ one for them in the past.

But it is this Saturday 20th that you feel the Barclays Premier League will finally come to life, after one of the most predictable and quite frankly dullest opening weekends in its 20 year illustrious history. OK, we welcomed Sergio Aguero, Swansea, Norwich and QPR to England’s top league, but was anyone really surprised? Yes Aguero is a special talent but he is hardly the world’s best kept secret and you don’t need to be a La Liga anorak to know he has scored 74 goals in 175 appearances for Atletico Madrid and became the clubs record transfer signing in 2006 when he joined for €22m from Independiente. Tongue ‘out’ of cheek, QPR collapsed to a 4-0 defeat because they’ve not spent any money and neither have Swansea.

It is this weekend that we will see Everton and Spurs allowed to feature, a real treat of Premier League football is in store and at last a full calendar of matches, can we start again I hear Neil Warnock and Brendan Rogers shout?

Arsenal vs. Liverpool does not only set a standard for the rest of the so called ‘big games’ this season in 11/12, but it represents a historically enriched fixture of exciting and exuberant football, cue now the 0-0 result. But in truth FA Cup & League Cup trophies aside, the realism of finishing fourth has become almost an obsession for these two clubs since the inauguration of the Champions League. It is clear neither can afford to be unsuccessful in their pursuit.

Follow me on Twitter for more football debate and transfer gossip @JoshuaHoare

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Click here to have a look out our predictions for the 2011/2012 Premier League Season!

Or have a look at the ten strikers that we think will lead the race for the Golden Boot next season

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