Liverpool vs Arsenal key battle: Will Alexander Isak or Gabriel Magalhaes come out on top?

Liverpool host Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday afternoon for matchday 10 of the Premier League, with both sides handed extra motivation after Manchester City's home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday.

The result means the Gunners, on 21 points, can move to the top of the table if they avoid defeat on Merseyside, while the Reds, who have 15 points, can cut the gap to the North London visitors to just three with a win.

Mikel Arteta and his men will also be looking to put their shock EFL Cup exit at Fleetwood behind them, although they can take encouragement from the form of Gabriel, who scored his first Premier League goal of the season in last weekend's 2-0 win over Everton.

The Brazilian headed home Ben White's cross on his 200th league appearance, helping Arsenal secure another clean sheet and take their tally to five in eight league games this season.

Liverpool, meanwhile, have a striker in fine form in Alexander Isak, who scored in the 2-0 victory over Brighton at Anfield last weekend to take his league tally to six goals in seven appearances. Only Erling Haaland, with nine, has scored more, while Isak has now found the net in three league matches in a row.

Here, Football Whispers takes a closer look at the battle between the Liverpool striker and the Arsenal defender.

Alexander Isak vs Gabriel: Who will win this Liverpool vs Arsenal key battle?

Isak's goalscoring record shows why he will be a major threat at Anfield, but Gabriel has been a key part of an Arsenal defence that has been difficult to break down this season.

The Swede’s six league goals has come from 20 shots, with nine efforts on target, giving him an accuracy rate of 45%. Isak has also scored once every 95 minutes, and his 4.39 expected goals (xG) suggests he has been finishing chances particularly well, having scored 1.61 more goals than expected, while averaging around 3.2 shots per 90 minutes.

Gabriel's attacking numbers are more modest, with one goal from nine shots, four of which have been on target. The Brazilian’s accuracy rate of 44.4% is almost identical to Isak's, but the difference in their attacking output is clear. Isak has managed as many shots on target as Gabriel has attempted in total, although neither player has registered an assist.

As expected, it is at the other end of the pitch where Gabriel makes his case. The Gunners’ number six has played every minute of the team’s eight league matches this season, while making 44 clearances, 18 aerial duels won and nine interceptions.

Gabriel also averages just above one tackle per game, which could give Isak an opportunity to use his movement and find space in behind the defence. The Liverpool forward is also capable of making clever runs into the box, so the Arsenal defender will need to stay alert rather than rely solely on his strength in the air.

The Gunners’ 3-0 defeat at Brighton on September 19 showed that their defence can be exposed, with Gabriel on the pitch for the full match. However, his aerial ability and the Arsenal's overall clean-sheet record suggest Isak will have to work hard to get the better of him.