Alexis Mac Allister has impressed for Liverpool this season, and the midfielder could prove to be key in an upcoming clash with Arsenal in the Premier League

Liverpool star Alexis Mac Allister has heaped praise on Arsenal ahead of his side's clash with the North London side, in what is set to be a huge meeting at the top of the Premier League table.

Both teams have had relatively positive starts to the campaign, with the Reds sitting in the top four heading into the weekend, losing just once in the division under Andoni Iraola. Meanwhile, Arsenal sit joint-top with league-leaders Manchester City, with some belief that back-to-back titles could be heading back to the capital.

For Anfield, it could be the biggest test of the season yet, perhaps alongside the clash with Man City, with the home side set to be challenged by a team at the peak of their powers.

There will be several key battles on the pitch, whether it's between Alexander Isak and a defensive pairing of Gabriel Magalhaes and Ezri Konsa, or Bradley Barcola and Rio Ngumoha against their opposite numbers at full-back.

However, another key battleground will be in the midfield, where teams will often tussle for control. Considering the match is at home, the onus is on Liverpool to go and wrestle control of the match in its favor.

While Dominik Szoboszlai is a doubt for the match, a trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz, and Mac Allister could be handed that task against a team with plenty of quality in the central areas.

Looking ahead to the game, Mac Allister has discussed the challenge of Arsenal, and even singled out two fellow midfield stars for praise. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: "Arsenal has been in a very strong position for four or five years. They are definitely in a stronger position than us. They are one of the best teams in the world and deserve the praise.

"It will be a really difficult game, but if there is a team that can win against them, it is us, especially at Anfield. I trust my teammates a lot.

"It doesn’t matter if its Arsenal or Man City or whoever. If we have the fans behind us, we will always play the same way and go for the win. We are improving. I can see a bond between the team and fans.

"We know how to win against them. We have done it already and we have a lot of quality too. I only have admiration for the players that Arsenal has, especially [Martin] Odegaard and [Declan] Rice. But we have top players too so it will be a good battle."

It certainly comes as plenty of praise for Arsenal as one of the standout teams of the past year, with the midfield star certainly keeping his eye on one or two of the battles he has coming up.

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool can deal with some of the quality and strength in depth that the Gunners have at their disposal, but there will be some hope that a positive result and performance could follow a decent start to the campaign.

A win for Arsenal would likely switch focus for Liverpool towards earning Champions League qualification. A win for Liverpool, on the other hand, could change the complexion of the title picture altogether.