Huge Test for Liverpool as High-Flying Arsenal Visit Anfield

Today, 1 November, at 18:30, the iconic Anfield will set the stage for an enticing Premier League Round 9 showdown between Liverpool and Arsenal, with Andy Madley in charge as match referee. The visitors from north London head into the clash in second place with 21 points from eight matches (7 wins, 1 defeat). Liverpool sit fifth on 15 points from their eight outings (4 wins, 3 draws, 1 defeat).

The hosts, managed by Andoni Iraola, are enjoying an excellent winning streak across all competitions. In their recent fixtures, Liverpool defeated Brighton 2-0 at home in the league, edged Villarreal 4-3 in the Champions League, and recently eliminated Chelsea from the Carabao Cup following a 1-1 draw in regulation time and a 6-5 penalty shootout victory. Prior to that, the Merseysiders earned away wins over Brentford (2-1) and LASK (6-3).

Mikel Arteta's Arsenal have also maintained consistency in the league, beating Everton 2-0 in the previous round after a 1-0 away victory against Nottingham Forest. In the Champions League, the Gunners secured a 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena and recorded a 3-0 win over Lille. In the Carabao Cup, however, they bowed out following a 1-1 draw and a 5-3 penalty shootout defeat to Fleetwood.

The Gunners will be particularly eager to leave the home of the 20-time English champions with a positive result following Manchester City's 1-0 defeat to Brighton yesterday. That outcome means a single point will be enough to send Arsenal clear at the top of the Premier League table.

The Merseysiders, meanwhile, must push for a vital victory to reclaim fourth place after being displaced by Chelsea's 2-0 win over Manchester United yesterday. A draw would see Liverpool pull level on points with the Blues, though the London side hold a superior goal difference.

Across the last five meetings between the two sides, Liverpool have two wins, Arsenal are winless, and three encounters ended in draws. Their previous league clash in January 2026 ended in a 0-0 stalemate at the Emirates, while Liverpool picked up a 1-0 victory at home in August 2025.

For the hosts, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni, Hugo Ekitike, and Jeremie Frimpong are all ruled out through injury. Arsenal will be without injured stars William Saliba and Bukayo Saka, while Max Dowman serves a suspension.