Liverpool vs Arsenal: Five Key Subplots Ahead of Huge Premier League Clash Analyst
Liverpool host Arsenal in the biggestPremier Leaguegame of Matchday 9. We look ahead to Sunday's Anfield encounter by picking out five key subplots.
Getting knocked out of the EFL Cup by fourth-tier Fleetwood Town this week wasone of the biggest shocks in the competition's recent history, but it has otherwise been a pretty solid season for Arsenal. The 3-0 loss at Brighton & Hove Albion has been the only blemish to the start of their Premier League title defence.
The reigning champions have won each of their other seven league games, recovering from that chastening loss on the south coast last month by beating Leeds United, Nottingham Forest and Everton since. Arguably their biggest test yet comes on Sunday, though, when they travel to Anfield to take on a Liverpool side who seem to be finding their feet under Andoni Iraola.
The Reds also suffered a disappointing 3-0 loss recently, at home to Manchester City, but three of their last four league outings have been impressive victories over Bournemouth, Brentford and Brighton. Liverpool's form continued on Wednesday as they sealed their place in the League Cup quarter-finals, beating Chelsea on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Anfield.
They will be hoping their recent momentum counts for something when they host the champions. It promises to be a big game in a charged atmosphere on Sunday, and ahead of it, we've picked out five potentially important subplots.
Liverpool Rarely Beat Arsenal, But Arsenal Struggle to Win at Anfield As you would expect between two of the best teams in Europe over recent years, Liverpool and Arsenal games are often very closely contested. The Reds have won just one of their last eight Premier League games against the Gunners (D5 L2), which was their 1-0 home victory last season, thanks to Dominik Szoboszlai 's incredible free-kick.
Meanwhile, Arsenal are winless in their last 13 away league games against Liverpool (D5 L8) since a 2-0 victory in 2012-13. They have never gone 14 winless at Anfield in their league history, also going 13 between 1975-76 and 1987-88, a run that was broken by that iconic 2-0 final-day victory in 1988-89 that pinched the Division 1 title.
This could be a famous day for Arsenal. They are just one off reaching 300 Premier League away wins, which would make them just the second team to reach the landmark in the competition after Manchester United (328).
Unfortunately for them, they will be playing in the stadium where they have their worst win rate in the Premier League. At no ground they've visited at least 10 times do they have a lower win rate than Anfield, with just six victories in 34 trips (18%).