Arsenal head out on the road for 4th time in five matches as they head to Merseyside to face an ascendant Liverpool side in Premier League play fresh on the heels of shocking a performance midweek that would put most horror movies to shame.
The Gunners have been forced to reckon with themselves following their performance on Tuesday evening away to Fleetwood Town. They set an embarrassing record as the first reigning PL title holders to lose to a 4th division side in the Carabao Cup with a performance fitting
for Halloween week. The match began with a UFO appearance when a drone delayed play, their passing ghosted them all night, they were jump-scared with an early goal for the hosts, and their finishing was the stuff of nightmares. Not even the mad scientist Mikel Arteta could explain the loss.
Arsenal have been one of the world’s top sides this season, but your stock is only as high as your last performance in the current state of football discourse. Liverpool enter Sunday riding a five match winning streak and will want to drive a stake through the heart of an already-wounded Arsenal side as they look to continue the trend of Anfield being a house of horrors for the Gunners, who have not won away to Liverpool since 2012.
Now it’s up to Arsenal to decide which version of themselves show up at Anfield on Sunday – the Dr. Jekyll that has seen them win all but two matches this season, or the Mr. Hyde that terrorized fans on Tuesday.
Know the Enemy
Domestic Record: 4W-3D-1L (4th)
Arsenal all-time record against: 83W-67D-96L
The Adoni Iraola era started off a bit tricky, but it has been a treat for Reds in recent weeks as they have found their form just in time for Arsenal’s arrival at Anfield on Sunday.
There were a lot of question marks surrounding Liverpool after last season. Arne Slot was given the sack just one season removed from winning a title and breaking the bank on a handful of signings that failed to meet their lofty price tags. They also had the tremendous task of filling the iconic boots of club legend Mohammed Salah after his career in Merseyside came to a close.
The question marks didn’t seem to go away during the first month of the season. Their campaign began with three draws from their first four matches while players struggled to adapt to Iraola’s high intensity brand of football with the gaffer commenting in September that the players needed to learn to “play tired” and that there were going to be “ups and downs” in the early phase.
There were plenty of ups as they made it to October without a loss, but then they hosted the fraudulent Manchester City and suffered a demoralizing 0-3 loss in the week’s marquee matchup. Since that result, there has been a major shift in their fortunes. The Reds have shaken off their penchant for draws and have won five in a row across all competitions while scoring 15 goals along the way. Alexander Isaak has returned to form, while new signing Bradley Barcola has kicked on. The biggest boost has been the performances of loanee Ronald Araújo in the defense, as he has become a rock in the back.
Their stats don’t pop off the page, but a big contributor to that comes from their slow start. They have been average-to-good in some attacking categories (total shots, shots on target), while bottom half in others (conversion rate, goals vs xG). In the defense, they have given up a sparse 24 shots on target, which is only 3 more than Arsenal have allowed and have the third lowest xG against.
Stats only paint a part of the picture, and this match is a quintessential “throw the stats out of the window” tie. Momentum is incalculable, but it has swung dramatically in their favor in recent weeks, which does not bode well for an Arsenal side who were humbled midweek. The Reds are a very solid side that can firmly plant themselves in the title race if Arsenal lose on Sunday.
Arsenal aren’t just up against Liverpool; they are also looking to finally overcome their longstanding Anfield voodoo. Few grounds are as haunted for the Gunners as Liverpool’s. Arsenal’s 14 year without a win is their longest road drought against any PL opponent. The last time they broke a similar streak against Liverpool? Just a little 0-2 win on the last day of the season in 1989.
Incomings: Bradley Barcola (PSG), Jérémy Jacquet (Rennes), Víctor Muñoz (CA Osasuna), Lucca Brughmans (Genk), Djylian N’Guessan (Saint-Etienne), Ifeanyi Ndukwe (Austria Vienna), Ronald Araújo (on loan from Barcelona)
Departures: Curtis Jones (Inter Milan), Stefan Bajčetić (Celta Fortuna), Ibrahima Konaté (Real Madrid), Mohammed Salah (Trabzonspor), Andy Robertson (Spurs), Harvey Elliot (Valencia)
Injuries & Suspensions: Hugo Ekitike (shin/calf), Giovanni Leoni (knee), Connor Bradley (knee), Jeremie Frimpong (thigh), Dominik Szoboszlai (thigh), Víctor Muñoz (knee)
How Liverpool can beat Arsenal
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Arsenal’s spookiest weakness this season has been their glaring lack of pace. Mikel Arteta has built a side filled with physically robust players in the defense and midfield, but there are no true burners at the back (or in general). Liverpool’s attack has enough pace through the likes of Bradley Barcola to give the defense fits, especially when you consider the high line they employ. Brighton took full advantage of it to great success against the Gunners, and if Liverpool can do the same, they could make it a long day for Arsenal.
How Arsenal can beat Liverpool
Pick up the pace
If the Gunners are slow in a physical sense, they have been even slower in their execution in the attack, which has compounded their finishing woes. Too many promising attacks have died after letting a defense get set or from a player waiting to pull the trigger. There are times when you can practically hear the overthinking happening in an attacking moment when a first-time shot is on. At some point, they have to let it rip. Good things happen when you aren’t afraid to shoot. Their 87 shots this season are 12th most in the league. Simply put, they need to be more aggressive.
For Arsenal’s injuries, suspensions, & predicted lineups, make sure to check out our article here.
WHO: Arsenal at Liverpool
WHAT: Premier League match day 9
WHEN: Sunday, November 1st, 11:30am EST/8:30am PST/4:30pm GMT
WHERE: Anfield, Liverpool
HOW TO WATCH: Streaming on the Peacock app
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