Preview: Arsenal v Liverpool | Pre-Match Report | News
Premier League action returns to Emirates Stadium on Sunday (4.30pm UK) when we host Liverpool.
Following our 1-0 victory at home to Shakhtar Donetsk in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday, we’re looking to get back to winning ways in the Premier League after last weekend’s 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth.
A win on Sunday would put us within one point of Liverpool, who lead the division ahead of the weekend. It would also be our 2,000th top-flight victory.
SLOTTING INFollowing Jurgen Klopp’s departure, it’s been an almost perfect start to life as Liverpool head coach for Arne Slot, who has led his team to 11 wins out of 12 in all competitions this season, only losing 1-0 at home to Nottingham Forest.
Last weekend saw the Reds earn a 2-1 win over Chelsea at Anfield thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and Curtis Jones either side of a Nicolas Jackson strike. They then won 1-0 away to RB Leipzig in the Champions League on Wednesday.
In the Premier League, Liverpool haven’t scored as many goals as Manchester City, Chelsea or Tottenham Hotspur, but they’ve conceded just three, the fewest in the division.
WHAT THE MANAGERS SAYArteta: “Get on with it, show your teeth, show how much you want it, the amazing opportunity for other people, the amazing opportunity for us as a team to rebel against certain situations, we need the crowd more.
"On Sunday, we need them even more, I’m sure they’re going to do that and let’s keep going.”
Slot: ““We all know that taking points from your competitor [is important]. And nobody knows in this early stage who is going to be your competitor or your biggest competitor, but I think we all know that Arsenal will be one of them and then dropping points against them or winning points against them, that is always important.
“So, you’re right, I think it was three draws and one loss [against Arsenal and Manchester City] last season so if you use simple mathematics, if Liverpool could have won all three of them I think the league table would have been a bit different. It’s difficult to win an away leg against Arsenal, City or all the other ones but it’s something we are trying on Sunday definitely.”
TEAM NEWSLate calls will be made on the availability of Bukayo Saka (hamstring), Riccardo Calafiori (knee) and Jurrien Timber (muscle).
“We’re going to do our very best to somehow have them available but it’s very uncertain," Mikel Arteta said on Friday.
Our other absentees are Martin Odegaard (ankle), Takehiro Tomiyasu (knee) and Kieran Tierney (hamstring).
William Saliba is suspended until our game against Newcastle United on November 2 following his red card against Bournemouth.
Liverpool are set to be without Alisson Becker, Conor Bradley, Federico Chiesa and Diogo Jota.
TALKING TACTICSAdrian Clarke: New Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has got off to a very promising start, making only minor tactical adjustments to the way they played under former boss Jurgen Klopp.
His preferred shape is 4-2-3-1, a departure from their longstanding 4-3-3, and this switch aims to provide them with greater stability, especially when moves break down.
The way they press has also changed since the Dutchman joined from Feyenoord.
Now you will see their main striker and No.10, usually Dominik Szoboszlai, closing down both centre backs as a pair – previously they left one alone - or the duo will screen passes into central midfield. Their wide forwards occupy the full backs.
The visitors are more patient on the ball than before. While they still carry a massive threat from fast breakaways, Liverpool’s class of 2024 are not in such a hurry to attack as a matter of course. Averaging 60.3% of possession they are happy to try and wear sides down under the current head coach instead. Only Manchester City have fashioned more build-up attacks than the Merseysiders.
Another change has seen the Reds’ left back invert into central midfield as often as Trent Alexander-Arnold does from right back. They will share that responsibility more evenly than under Klopp.
Slot has also introduced a greater number of inswinging corners. For the past few seasons, they used outswingers most of the time that were aimed for Virgil van Dijk, but there is currently more variety to their set plays.
FACTS AND STATSWe have won our last two Premier League home games against Liverpool, last having a longer such run between 2004 and 2006 (4).
We are unbeaten in our last four Premier League games against Liverpool (W2 D2), taking more points from these four games (8) than we had in our previous 14 against the Reds (7 – W1 D4 L9).
Gabriel Martinelli has been involved in more goals against Liverpool in all competitions than he has against any other side for us (7 – 5 goals, 2 assists). Four of his five goals against the Reds have put us in the lead in the match, including all three such Premier League strikes.
Kai Havertz has scored in each of his last five Premier League appearances at the Emirates Stadium. The only Arsenal player to score in more successive home appearances in the competition is Thierry Henry, who has done so twice (6 from March-August 2000 & 7 from May-October 2004).
Declan Rice could make his 250th Premier League appearance in this game. He would be the sixth-youngest player to hit that milestone (25 years, 287 days) and youngest since Raheem Sterling in March 2020 (25 years, 91 days).
MATCH OFFICIALSAnthony Taylor has been appointed to officiate Sunday’s match. He has handed out 48 yellow cards and one red in nine games so far this season.
He was last involved in an Arsenal game when he saw over our 0-0 draw away to Manchester City at the end of March last season. His previous game at Emirates Stadium was also against Liverpool, when Ibrahima Konate was sent off in a 3-1 victory for us.
Referee: Anthony Taylor
Assistants: Gary Beswick, Adam Nunn
Fourth official: Sam Barrott
VAR: Michael Salisbury
Assistant VAR: Darren Cann
There have been 242 meetings between us and Liverpool in all competitions since 1893.
Under Mikel Arteta, we have claimed victory over the Reds on five occasions - three times in the Premier League in 2020, 2022 and 2024.
Bukayo Saka gave us an early lead in last season’s encounter but a Gabriel own goal on the brink of half-time saw us go into the break level. We got the job done in the second half though courtesy of goals from Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard.
LIVE COVERAGE
Our matchday show returns on Sunday an hour before kick-off, featuring Sharky, Dennis Bergkamp and ChrisMD. They will take on a game of Higher or Lower and answer the Question of the Day.
Tune into Arsenal.com and the official app just before kick-off to get live commentary of the game, with Dan Roebuck talking you through all the on-field action.
You can also find out which broadcaster is showing the action live wherever you are in the world in the article below.
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