Liverpool v Arsenal – Fixture History, Team News, Tips & More

It is the final set of games in the Premier League before Christmas this week and on Saturday evening, we have an absolute cracker to look forward to as the current top two in the table face off at Anfield – Liverpool v Arsenal.

There is no doubt that Liverpool v Arsenal is one of the most anticipated fixtures of the season. It has also provided us with plenty of goals over the years and no small amount of drama.

Arsenal fans will point to their 1987 League Cup Final success over the Reds at Wembley, and their 1989 League Championship win, given to them by a 2-0 win at Anfield on the final day of the season.

Liverpool can point to the 1999 FA Cup win over the Gunners thanks to a Michael Owen double, as well as some thumping recent wins over their rivals.

They are two of the top three most successful teams in English football and given the somewhat frosty relationship between the two managers, very apt before Christmas, this game promises to be a cracker.

Bet365 Sport is offering exceptional betting on this game, and many others, over the course of the season, so do take a look at the site’s pre-match and In Play betting options

Let’s now take a look at how the team’s compare.

Liverpool v Arsenal – Head-To-Head

• Games Played – 239
• Liverpool Wins – 94
• Arsenal Wins – 82
• Draws – 63

Last Ten Games

Liverpool v Arsenal Trends

• Two of Arsenal’s last three wins over Liverpool have come via penalty shoot-outs in the 1-1 draw in August 2020 in the Community Shield and a penalty shootout win in January 2022 when they won 5-4 at Anfield in the League Cup (Carabao Cup).
• Arsenal have won 2 of their last 16 against Liverpool in the Premier League. Liverpool have won 9 of those games with 5 draws.
• The Gunners have not won at Anfield since September 2012 in the Premier League.
• Liverpool have won 5 and drawn one of their last six EPL games against Arsenal at Anfield, scoring 24 goals and conceding 6.
• Both teams have scored in 2 of the last 8 games between the two, although both those games were the two most recent ties between the teams.
• There have been a number of high-scoring games between the two in the Premier League era. They drew 5-5 in the League Cup in October 2019, Liverpool have recorded a couple of 4-0 and 5-1 wins over the Gunners, as well as a 4-3 win at Highbury. Arsenal beat Liverpool 4-1 in 2015 and we have also had a 4-4 draw, a 4-2 win for Liverpool, a 3-6 win for Arsenal and 4-2 win for Arsenal.
• Arsenal have the biggest win in the fixture, an 8-1 win back in 1934.
• Jurgen Klopp has faced Mikel Arteta 11 times as managers in an often frosty match up. Klopp has won five of those games, Arteta four (two by penalty shoot out wins) and there have been 2 draws between the two managers’ teams.

Famous Players To Have Played for Both Teams

• Yossi Benayoun (Israel)
• Ray Kennedy (England)
• Michael Thomas (England)
• Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (England)
• Jimmy Carter (Pakistan)
• Jermaine Pennant (England)
• Nicolas Anelka (France)
• Kolo Toure (Ivory Coast)
• Geoff Strong (England)

Top 5 Classic Liverpool v Arsenal Clashes

• Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal (May 1989)

Liverpool seemed set to win the double once again after beating Everton at Wembley a few days earlier. They needed to avoid a defeat by two goals at home to Arsenal to stop the Gunners winning the title. A goalless first half gave way to a second where Alan Smith put Arsenal 1-0 up. It remained that way until injury time when Michael Thomas burst through to score the goal that handed Arsenal the title in the most dramatic fashion.

• Liverpool 4-4 Arsenal (2009)

This will be forever known as the Andrei Arshavin game, with the Russian midfielder scoring all of Arsenal’s four goals in this Premier League thriller. The Russian put Arsenal in front on 36 minutes, before Fernando Torres equalised in the second half. Yossi Benayoun put Liverpool 2-1 up, but a quickfire double for Arshavin saw Arsenal lead 3-2. Torres levelled matters just 2 minutes later but Arshavin netted a fourth in the 90^th minute. However, Yossi Benayoun pulled the game level in the 93^rd minute.

• Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool (FA Cup Final – 1971)

Arsenal secured the double with a 2-1 extra time win over Liverpool at Wembley in the 1971 FA Cup Final. After a goalless 90 minutes, which Arsenal probably had the better of, Liverpool struck first with Steve Heighway’s shot beating Bob Wilson at his near post. However, the Gunners equalised soon after, George Graham touching home after Eddie Kelly caused mayhem in the Liverpool box. In the 2^nd period of injury time Charlie George struck a fantastic winner to hand Arsenal the double.

• Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool (FA Cup Final – 2001)

Arsenal and Liverpool met again in the FA Cup Final 30 years after their first clash but this time it was the Merseysiders who came out on top, somewhat fortuitously. Thierry Henry was denied a goal by a Stephane Henchoz handball which the referee failed to spot but Arsenal were well on top and took the lead in the 72^nd minute through Freddie Ljungberg. However, despite being on top, Arsenal conceded in the 83^rd minute when they failed to clear a McAllister free kick allowing Owen to slam the ball past David Seaman. Five minutes later, the England star was at it again, racing onto a long ball from Patrick Berger and firing past Seaman into the bottom corner to snatch the trophy for the Reds.

• Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal (December 2018)

Arsenal took the lead against table-toppers Liverpool at Anfield in this clash, Ainsley Maitland-Niles turning home a cross after just 11 minutes. It was as good as it got for Arsenal as a quick fire Roberto Firmino double on 14 and 16 minutes put Liverpool 2-1 up. Sadio Mane added a third on 32 before a Mo Salah penalty made it 4-1 at the half. Firmino completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot in the second half as the Reds repeated the scoreline of their 2014 win over Arsenal in the Premier League.

Next Fixture Details

Liverpool v Arsenal

• Date – Saturday 23^rd December
• Venue – Anfield
• Kick Off – 5.30pm

Liverpool

• Manager – Jurgen Klopp
• EPL Record – 2^nd Place, Played 17, 38 points (+21)
• Form – W3, D2, L0

Team News

Liverpool will be without several players for the game with Arsenal. Diogo Jota, who has an excellent scoring record against the Gunners, remains out, as does Alexis MacAllister, Andy Robertson, Thiago and Stefan Bajcetic.

They have been joined on the injury list by Joel Matip, who has an ACL tear and will be out for a lengthy period, and Ryan Gravenberch, who had a hamstring issue in the 0-0 draw with Manchester United.

Liverpool Predicted Team & Formation

Arsenal

• Manager – Mikel Arteta
• EPL Record – 1^st Place, Played 17, 39 points (+20)
• Form – W4, D0, L1

Team News

Mikel Arteta welcomed back Emile Smith Rowe to the first team picture last time out and the Arsenal boss has just two players out.

Thomas Partey is expected to return from a hamstring injury around the 31^st December, so the game with Liverpool may come too soon for him and Jurrien Timber is out indefinitely after injuring his cruciate ligament in the early weeks of the season.

Other than those two absentees the Gunners should have a full-strength squad to pick from.

Arsenal Predicted Team & Formation

Current Betting Odds with Bet365 Sport

• Liverpool Win – 11/8
• Arsenal Win – 9/5
• Draw – 13/5

Our 3 Top Tips for Liverpool v Arsenal

Tip 1 – Liverpool to win – 11/8

Tip 2 – Liverpool to win 2-1 – 9/1

Tip 3 – Mohamed Salah to score anytime – 7/4

*all odds shown were correct with bet365 Sport but may have changed in the time since publication.