Liverpool vs Arsenal is the champions' trip to a ground where their new-look hosts have yet to win a league game this season. Andoni Iraola's Liverpool have drawn with Nottingham Forest and Fulham at Anfield and were beaten 3-0 there by Manchester City on 11 October. Mikel Arteta's Arsenal, who won the title last May with 85 points, arrive second in the table with six wins from seven. Kick-off is 16:30 GMT on Sunday 1 November (11:30 ET, 08:30 PT), the first weekend after the US clocks go back.
| Competition | Premier League, matchday 9 |
|---|---|
| Venue | Anfield, Liverpool |
| Kick-off | Sun 1 Nov 2026, 16:30 GMT |
| Table on 20 Oct | Arsenal 2nd (18 pts), Liverpool 5th (12 pts) |
| Last meeting at Anfield | Liverpool 1-0 Arsenal, August 2025 (Szoboszlai free kick) |
| Last meeting overall | Arsenal 0-0 Liverpool, January 2026 |
Six points is a gap, not a gulf, and both sides play a round before this one. But the shape of the season is clear. Arsenal won the league by seven points from City, Liverpool finished fifth on 60, and the summer only widened the contrast. Arsenal added Bruno Guimarães from Newcastle for £75m, plus Ezri Konsa, Piero Hincapié and Christos Tzolis. Liverpool sacked Arne Slot, hired Iraola from Bournemouth and said goodbye to Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konaté in one go. They spent big too: Bradley Barcola from PSG for £106m, Jérémy Jacquet from Rennes, Víctor Muñoz from Osasuna, and Ronald Araújo on loan from Barcelona.
Isak against a back line missing Saliba
Alexander Isak has five league goals, second only to Erling Haaland in the scoring chart, and he got the winner at Brentford on 17 October after missing two games. When he plays, Liverpool look like a side with a plan. When he doesn't, they drew 0-0 with Fulham.
Arsenal's problem is that William Saliba was listed as out with no return date before the Forest game, and Hincapié was a doubt. That leaves Arteta mixing and matching from Konsa, Hincapié, Riccardo Calafiori and Jurriën Timber. They have still been mean: one league defeat, the 3-0 at Brighton in September, and only Leeds have scored against them in the league since. I'd still back Isak to get chances if Saliba isn't there. He is the one Liverpool player Arsenal will plan around.
Barcola on the left, Timber on the right
Barcola cost £106m, which puts him in the same bracket as Florian Wirtz and Isak, and his first weeks have been mixed. He scored a hat-trick in the 6-3 win at LASK in the Champions League and set up Isak's winner at Brentford, but he hasn't yet had a big league afternoon. Anfield against the champions would be a decent place to start.
Timber scored in the 3-0 Champions League win over Lille on 13 October and is the most likely man to face him. He defends one-on-one well and likes to drift inside when Arsenal have the ball, which is exactly the space Barcola wants to run into on the break. Whoever wins that side probably decides how often Liverpool get to counter.
Wirtz and Mac Allister against Guimarães
Bruno Guimarães has already scored twice in the league, at Sunderland and against Leeds, and he gives Arsenal a midfielder who can win the ball and carry it 30 yards in the same move. Martin Ødegaard and Kai Havertz both scored against Coventry and Chelsea, so the supply line into the box is working even with Gabriel Martinelli gone to Al-Hilal.
Liverpool's midfield is less settled. Ryan Gravenberch was sent off against City and is banned until 25 October, so he should be back for this. Dominik Szoboszlai went off injured at Brentford, and Iraola said patience is needed. If Szoboszlai is out, Wirtz and Alexis Mac Allister have to do the pressing and the creating, and that is a lot to ask against a midfield this strong.
Iraola's press against Arteta's control
Iraola built his name at Bournemouth with high, aggressive pressing, and Liverpool's results suggest the players are still learning it: three wins, three draws and that City defeat. Arteta has the opposite issue. His side know exactly what they are doing, and their games tend to be low on chaos. They beat Forest 1-0 on 18 October with what ESPN counted as their only shot on target, a deflected Noni Madueke goal ten minutes from time.
The history of Liverpool vs Arsenal points the same way. Before Szoboszlai's free kick in August 2025, Liverpool had gone six league games without beating Arsenal, and the return at the Emirates last January ended 0-0. These games are tight more often than not.
| # | Team | P | GD | Pts | Form |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Manchester City | 7 | 12 | 21 | WWWWW |
| 2 |  Arsenal | 7 | 6 | 18 | WWLWW |
| 3 |  Brighton and Hove Albion | 7 | 18 | 16 | WWWWD |
| 4 |  Chelsea | 7 | 4 | 13 | WWLDL |
| 5 |  Liverpool | 7 | 1 | 12 | WLWDW |
| 6 |  Brentford | 7 | 5 | 10 | LDWDD |
| 7 |  Leeds United | 7 | 3 | 10 | DLDWD |
Prediction and the likely line-ups
I can't give you a confirmed XI two weeks out, especially with Liverpool's injury list (Szoboszlai, Gakpo and Jeremie Frimpong were all hurt or doubtful after Brentford, with Iraola saying Frimpong is unlikely back before the November break). The names I'd expect for Liverpool: Jacquet, Araújo and Virgil van Dijk in defence, Milos Kerkez at left-back, Gravenberch and Mac Allister in midfield, Wirtz, Barcola and Isak further forward, with Muñoz from the bench. For Arsenal: David Raya, Timber, Calafiori, Konsa or Hincapié, Guimarães, Ødegaard, Bukayo Saka and Havertz, with Madueke and Eberechi Eze pushing for starts and Tzolis due back around this date.
Going into this Liverpool vs Arsenal game, Arsenal are the better team right now and the more stable one. Anfield still matters, and Liverpool have the players to hurt anyone on the break. I'll take a 1-1, with Arsenal the side more likely to nick it late if anyone does.
Anfield from Stanley Park. Photo: Alan Murray-Rust, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
How to watch Liverpool vs Arsenal
In the UK, Premier League rights are split between Sky Sports and TNT Sports, so check which of the two has picked this one. In the US it sits with NBC Sports and Peacock. Elsewhere, the TV block below lists channels where they're known. Fixture details are on the Premier League site.
Liverpool
ArsenalIf you'd rather not pay, DAMITV streams the game free in HD with no sign-up. Head to the Premier League streams page, or go straight to the Liverpool or Arsenal channel. Saturday's early game is covered in our Chelsea vs Man United preview.
