Liverpool Manager Andoni Iraola
Liverpool Manager Andoni Iraola
Liverpool host Arsenal on Sunday in a potentially decisive Premier League title clash. Andoni Iraola’s side are unbeaten in five matches across all competitions and could cut the gap to the leaders to three points with victory at Anfield.
The Reds needed penalties to beat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday after a 1-1 draw, but Iraola made seven changes, leaving his first-choice players relatively fresh.
Before that, the Reds had won four consecutive matches, including a 2-0 victory over Brighton that secured their first Premier League home win of the season.
Iraola’s record in 2026 has been impressive. Dating back to his Bournemouth tenure, he has lost just two of 27 Premier League matches, winning 12 and drawing 13. One of those defeats came against Arsenal in January.
Arsenal sit second with 21 points after beating Everton 2-0 last weekend. However, their Carabao Cup campaign ended unexpectedly on Tuesday with a defeat to League Two side Fleetwood Town.
The result also saw teenager Max Dowman sent off, ruling him out through suspension. With Bukayo Saka also unavailable, Mikel Arteta faces a shortage of wide options ahead of the trip to Anfield.
Ahead of the game, Iraola said on Friday: “I think, like I said before, it’s still October, so it’s take one game at a time. I always say the first reference, more or less, normally is when we play against each other once, so halfway through the season, and then you can start thinking and understanding this stuff. But right now we are in a position where we need to improve, we need keep getting better.”
Arsenal are winless in their last 13 Premier League visits to Anfield, drawing five and losing eight since their 2-0 victory in 2012. Liverpool could set a new club record of 14 consecutive home league matches without defeat against the Gunners.
Of the grounds Arsenal have visited more than 10 times in the Premier League, Anfield is where they have their lowest win rate, at just 18 per cent (six wins in 34 visits). Liverpool, meanwhile, have won each of their last nine fixtures played at Anfield on November 1.
Support DaveOCKOP and enjoy the site completely ad-free. You’ll get an uninterrupted browsing experience while helping us continue to deliver the latest Liverpool news, breaking stories and exclusives. Go ad-free today.