Team News: Kai Havertz up front for Arsenal, Harvey Elliott starts for Liverpool

Earlier on Sunday, reports emerged that Jesus was a fresh doubt for the visit of the Reds due to a minor knee problem, and the Brazilian has not made the squad for the showdown at the Emirates.

Arsenal have confirmed that Jesus is nursing a small knee injury, and rather than deploy Eddie Nketiah up front, Mikel Arteta has selected Havertz - who has normally played in a deeper role for the Gunners - to spearhead the charge.

The hosts have made a total of three changes from the team that lost 2-1 to Fulham on New Year's Eve, as Havertz's shift to an attacking role in place of Nketiah allows Jorginho to come into the engine room.

Reiss Nelson has also displaced Gabriel Martinelli on the left-hand side of the Arsenal attack, while Aaron Ramsdale unsurprisingly begins in goal over David Raya, who drops down to the substitutes bench.

Despite making good progress in his recovery from a calf injury, Oleksandr Zinchenko is absent from the Arsenal squad again, meaning that Jakub Kiwior will start at left-back for the second match in succession.

Arteta does have one recognised left-back on the bench in the form of 18-year-old Lino Sousa, while fellow academy graduates Ethan Nwaneri and Reuell Walters are also part of the matchday squad.

As for Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp has made four changes to the side from their 4-2 victory over Newcastle United on New Year's Day, having lost both of Wataru Endo and Mohamed Salah to international duty.

Alexis Mac Allister looks to be a straight swap for Endo in the number six role, while either Harvey Elliott or Cody Gakpo will take up Salah's right-wing position in support of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.

Whichever member of the duo does not start in the final third will deputise for Dominik Szoboszlai, who misses out with a hamstring injury, while captain Virgil van Dijk is also absent from the Liverpool squad due to illness.

As a result, Jarell Quansah has been drafted into the backline with Ibrahima Konate, Joe Gomez and stand-in captain Trent Alexander-Arnold, but Alisson Becker keeps his place in goal over Caoimhin Kelleher.

Bobby Clark, Luke Chambers, Kaide Gordon, Conor Bradley, Trey Nyoni and James McConnell all feature on a youthful Liverpool bench, although the recently-recalled Owen Beck misses out through suspension, having picked up two bookings while playing for Dundee in the Scottish League Cup.

Arsenal: Ramsdale; White, Saliba, Gabriel, Kiwior; Odegaard, Jorginho, Rice; Saka, Havertz, Nelson

Subs: Raya, Cedric, Walters, Sousa, Smith Rowe, Nwaneri, Trossard, Martinelli, Nketiah

Liverpool: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Quansah, Gomez; Elliott, Mac Allister, Jones; Gakpo, Nunez, Diaz

Subs: Kelleher, Jota, Gravenberch, Clark, Chambers, Gordon, McConnell, Bradley, Nyoni