Liverpool–Arsenal: the champions return to Anfield as the hosts find momentum

Arsenal have not won a Premier League match at Anfield since 2012/13. The league counts 13 visits without a victory: five draws and eight defeats. That record explains the difficulty of this trip, not what must happen on Sunday. Arsenal are defending the title they won last season. Liverpool, after an uneven start, have begun to connect their forwards and keep opponents out more often. The fixture asks whether those improvements will stand up to a side whose structure is among its strongest assets.

• Competition: 2026/27 Premier League, Matchweek 9.
• Fixture: Liverpool host Arsenal.
• Venue: Anfield, Liverpool, England.
• Kick-off: Sunday 1 November, 4:30pm GMT in Liverpool; 4:30pm UTC and 11:30am EST in New York.

Liverpool's run is real, but its league record needs context

Liverpool beat Brighton 2-0 in the league on 25 October. Three days later they knocked Chelsea out of the League Cup, winning 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Iraola spoke on Friday of five consecutive victories, then added the detail that matters here: only two were in the Premier League. Cup wins have improved confidence without erasing points dropped earlier in the domestic campaign.

Alexander Isak scored Liverpool's second goal against Brighton. A Premier League tactical assessment argues that the relationship between Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz, Cody Gakpo and Isak is becoming more productive. It also notes four clean sheets in Liverpool's previous six matches. Iraola has reason to trust both ends of the pitch, although Arsenal can make a defence work without allowing the open exchanges that suited Liverpool in other games.

The Chelsea cup tie matters physically as well as emotionally. Liverpool played the full match and a shootout on Wednesday. Iraola said much of the preparation has been done with analysts and video rather than extra running, and that he will keep rotating to manage the load. A good midweek performance therefore does not guarantee a Sunday start for any individual.

Arsenal arrive after two very different results

Mikel Arteta's side beat Everton 2-0 in their most recent league game on 24 October, with Ezri Konsa and Gabriel scoring. Fleetwood Town then eliminated Arsenal from the League Cup on penalties after a 1-1 draw on 27 October, according to the EFL's match account. The cup exit was a setback, but it is separate from the form with which the champions have opened their title defence.

Iraola described Arsenal as a team whose players work in synchrony, defend well and pose a particular threat in aerial contests and set plays. That is the opposition coach's assessment rather than a prediction about Sunday's tactics. Arsenal will need those qualities at a ground where they have repeatedly fallen short in the league. Their wide options are less settled: Bukayo Saka has not been cleared to return, while Noni Madueke is awaiting a further fitness check.

Availability: what the managers actually said

Both managers spoke on Friday 30 October. Some decisions depend on the following day's training, so a player being back on the grass should not be read as confirmation that he will play.

Liverpool

• Conor Bradley: remains out after knee surgery reported by Liverpool.
• Hugo Ekitike: continues his recovery from an Achilles rupture; the club has not announced a return for this match.
• Jeremie Frimpong: Liverpool reported a muscle problem after the Brentford game. His availability against Arsenal has not been confirmed.
• Giovanni Leoni: remains in a long-term recovery from an ACL injury, with no return announced for Sunday.
• Dominik Szoboszlai and Victor Munoz: Iraola said on Friday that each has a chance of being involved, but he does not yet know whether either will make the squad. Both remain uncertain.

Arsenal

• Bukayo Saka: Arteta said a further assessment of his injury was needed. He did not announce Saka's return against Liverpool.
• William Saliba: no return has been confirmed following his back problem.
• Max Dowman: suspended after his League Cup red card.
• Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori and Christos Tzolis: Arteta said all three trained on Friday and would be available if the next session goes well. Their participation remains conditional.
• Noni Madueke: Arteta said the Saturday session would determine whether he can complete training and be available for Sunday.

Liverpool's update comes from Iraola's club-published news conference; Arsenal's from Arteta's Friday briefing, reported by BBC Sport. Subsequent squad announcements can narrow these uncertainties before kick-off.

Three contests inside the larger fixture

Iraola singled out duels, aerial balls and set pieces. Arsenal were especially dangerous from dead-ball situations in their title-winning season, while Liverpool can use Isak's presence in the box and Wirtz's movement between lines if they pass through the first pressure. The question is less how many attackers start than who controls the space around second balls and crosses.

Liverpool's right side is another area to watch. Injuries and late fitness decisions may force Iraola to move players between positions. Arsenal, meanwhile, must choose their wide options without treating Madueke's possible return or Tzolis's training as a guaranteed start. Specific one-on-one matchups will only be clear once the teams are named. Arteta may seek to deny Wirtz the central pockets he wants; Liverpool will have to avoid giving Arsenal a sequence of dangerous restarts. Those are possible responses to the evidence, not secret plans attributed to either coach.

How to watch Liverpool–Arsenal

• Venue: Anfield, Liverpool.
• Kick-off: Sunday 1 November at 4:30pm GMT in England.

United States

• Time: Sunday, 11:30am EST / 8:30am PST.
• TV: NBCSN and Telemundo are named for this match in NBC Sports' official weekend schedule.
• Streaming: Peacock is listed by the same broadcaster for the live fixture.

Australia

• Time: Monday 2 November, 3:30am AEDT in Sydney and Melbourne; 2:30am AEST in Brisbane.
• Streaming: Stan Sport's match schedule lists Liverpool–Arsenal live with a 3:30am AEDT kick-off and a 2:30am AEDT programme start. The Stan Sport add-on is required; the match is listed in the service's Premier League schedule.

United Kingdom

• Time: Sunday, 4:30pm GMT.
• TV and streaming: Sky Sports is the announced broadcaster in the Premier League's updated fixture list. Access depends on the viewer's Sky package or authorised streaming subscription.

Arsenal's long Anfield drought will meet a Liverpool side whose recent improvement is unmistakable but whose domestic recovery is still being measured. Sunday's result will show how far each claim travels against a direct rival.