Liverpool have asked for next season’s opening match to be played away from home to allow preparations to be completed on their new Anfield Road stand.
Work, which began in September 2021, is on course to be finished this summer on the £80million redevelopment and will add around 7,000 extra seats, taking the ground’s overall capacity to more than 61,000.
However, with test events and potential additional work required on the pitch as a result of the building work – which will see the roof of the existing stand removed at the end of the season – Liverpool are looking to buy themselves more time to ensure everything is ready to open on the second weekend of the new campaign.
The club made a similar request to the Premier League when they completed the new Main Stand in 2016, which followed the same process of erecting the new building behind the existing one so the ground’s capacity was not affected during the season.
“We are on track and on budget,” vice-president of stadium operations Paul Cuttill said. “The progress has gone really well and we’re due to complete by the end of July, with a view to being ready for the first home game of the 2023-24 season.
“It’s not been confirmed yet but we’ve asked for the first game to be away, which will mean the first home game is August 19 or 20.
“It just means we have the best possible chance to make sure the stadium is ready, that we have had test events which are licensed and good to go.
“There is an element of pitch work, to make sure it has recovered from the roof being removed and the work which takes place on the pitch during the close season.”
Arteta hails 'phenomenal' Arsenal drive to take Man City all the way
Mikel Arteta hailed the "phenomenal" drive shown by his Arsenal side to push Manchester City all the way in the Premier League title race.
The Gunners moved one point clear of City at the Premier League summit on Sunday with a 1-0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
City have a chance to restore their advantage when they travel to Arsenal's fierce rivals Tottenham on Tuesday, before then hosting West Ham.
Regardless of what happens in midweek, Arsenal will go into their final game of the campaign at home to Everton with the title battle still alive.
Speaking to BBC Sport after his side's latest win, Arteta said: "It is a phenomenal thing they are doing."
However, Arteta was not entirely pleased with the manner of his side's slender victory, even if they were good value for the win overall.
"We weren't composed, clean enough, consistent enough and were unable to do the simple things right," he said. "That doesn't give you control.
"Some of the players have not been in this position; they don't know what is at stake and how you feel emotionally to have to win and win and win from December or January."
Arsenal's win was just their second in 17 Premier League trips to Old Trafford, most recently coming out on top in November 2020.
Lenadro Trossard scored what proved to be the winner with 20 minutes played, tapping in from close range after being set up by Kai Havertz.
"We needed a result today in a really difficult place," Arteta added. "Our history was not in favour of a result today.
"There was so much at stake and we're happy with the result. We started the game really well and were dominant.
"We scored the goal and I think the goal led to slightly bad things because we started to play too safe, too sideways, too backwards with not enough structure.
"We started to give the ball away in good areas and that is a danger against them. But we defended well and didn't concede too much."
Arsenal now find themselves cheering on Tottenham against City, knowing that anything other than a win for Pep Guardiola's men will leave their title fate in their own hands.
Asked if he will be watching that game, Arteta said: "We will be sat watching and it’s true we need the result in order to achieve [the title]. In football there are always possibilities."
Havertz will be Tottenham's 'biggest fan' against Manchester City
Kai Havertz joked he will be Tottenham's "biggest fan" as Arsenal look for a helping hand from their fierce rivals when they take on Manchester City.
Arsenal defeated Manchester United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday through a first-half Leandro Trossard tap-in that was nicely assisted by Havertz.
That victory lifted the Gunners one point above City, who have an inferior goal difference of three and play their game in hand at Tottenham on Tuesday.
Pep Guardiola's side still have the title in their hands, but dropped points in North London will change that heading into the final round of fixtures, with Arsenal hosting Everton and City at home to West Ham.
Asked by Sky Sports if he is going to back Spurs for the victory against City, Havertz laughed and said: "I am going to be the biggest fan of Tottenham ever. Let's hope for the best."
Arsenal's victory at Old Trafford was their 27th in the Premier League this season - only in 1970-71 (29) and 1930-31 (28) have they won more in a single top-flight campaign.
Mikel Arteta's men could reach 89 points with victory over an Everton side with nothing to play for, yet that may still not be enough if City win both remaining fixtures.
Regardless of the result at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, the Premier League title race will still go down to the final weekend.
"We have one game and we need the whole club behind us - anything is possible," Havertz said.
"We prepared for the game very well, we didn’t have our best game but we needed the three points and we have it now so we can be happy.
"We have to win every single game as City are always keeping the pressure on. It is so nice to be in the [title] race and every week you have to play at your best."
Havertz kept up his impressive form by setting up the only goal for Trossard, who has put Arsenal 1-0 up with three of the last four goals he has netted.
An out-of-sorts United side offered little in an attacking sense, a few David Raya saves from distance aside, in what was a deserved victory for the visitors.
Speaking to Sky Sports, Trossard said: "Man Utd are still a good team and they can hurt you in different ways so credit to the boys - we defended really well.
"Obviously we only have one objective to win the league. We have done our job today and it will be up to the last game and that is what we are aiming for.
"Hopefully next week we can celebrate something - you never know, it could be. We can only hope. We have done our job and that is the only thing we could have done."
Manchester United 0-1 Arsenal: Gunners keep title pressure on Man City with Old Trafford triumph
Arsenal regained top spot from Manchester City heading into the final week of the Premier League season with a 1-0 win at Manchester United on Sunday.
Leandro Trossard scored the decisive goal at Old Trafford with 20 minutes on the clock as Kai Havertz profited from an intercepted Andre Onana pass to tee up the Belgian's simple finish.
The Gunners move one point clear of City, who thrashed Fulham 4-0 on Saturday and still have a game in hand at Arsenal's fierce rivals Tottenham on Tuesday, meaning the title remains in the hands of Pep Guardiola's side.
City then host West Ham on the final day, while Arsenal are at home to Everton.
United, beaten 4-0 by Crystal Palace on Monday and now with just one win in their last eight in the competition, stay eighth in the table and are three points off Chelsea and Newcastle United directly above them with a game to go.
Arsenal did not have any true sights of goal in an evenly contested opening, with United looking more coherent than in recent weeks, until the visitors' breakthrough arrived through Trossard.
Onana's pass was cut out on the halfway line and played to Havertz, who was kept onside by Casemiro failing to get up the pitch, and the German squared for Trossard to convert from point-blank range.
The Gunners, who failed to win on the two other previous occasions they had led at half-time at Old Trafford, were happy to sit back after the restart and invite United onto them.
Casemiro was invited to shoot from distance and did just that, forcing a save from David Raya, who then denied Antony's poor attempt from a similar position.
But there was to be no way through for United, who had Onana to thank for late saves to deny Gabriel Martinelli and Declan Rice, as the visitors completed a league double in this fixture for the first time since 2006-07.
United continue to concede
Trossard's goal, which came despite United having four players back in a position to intercept Havertz's pass, makes it 82 goals conceded for the Red Devils across all competitions this season – the most they have shipped in a single season since 1970-71 (also 82).
Erik ten Hag's men were ultimately unable to hit back and have therefore now suffered 19 losses across all competitions this term, which is their most since 1977-78 (also 19).
This is also just the third time in Premier League history they have lost at home to three sides from the capital in a single season, having previously fallen to Crystal Palace and Fulham.
Havertz and Trossard stepping up
Trossard has more than played his part in Arsenal's title pursuit, with this his 12th league goal of the season. Three of his last four have put the Gunners 1-0 up, showing just how important he has been.
That crucial breakthrough goal was assisted by Havertz, who has scored and assisted a combined 14 goals in the Premier League since the start of 2024 – already surpassing his previous highest tally in a single year in the competition with Chelsea in 2022 (13).
Indeed, only Chelsea's Cole Palmer with 19 can boast more direct goal involvements than the Germany international this calendar year among all Premier League players.
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