Liverpool v Arsenal preview: Saka out as Arteta’s side eye top spot at Anfield
Liverpool v Arsenal preview: Bukayo Saka is out and Noni Madueke a doubt as Arsenal visit Anfield, where victory would take them top after Manchester City lost to Brighton.
Liverpool v Arsenal preview: Mikel Arteta’s champions head to Anfield on Sunday knowing a win would take them top of the Premier League, but they must do it without Bukayo Saka.
Main image: DSN graphic.
Kick-off is 16:30 UK time and Andy Madley is the referee. The stakes rose on Saturday when Manchester City lost 1-0 at home to Brighton. City stay on 21 points after nine games, while Arsenal also have 21 from eight and sit second only on goal difference.
Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool went into the weekend fourth on 15 points, six behind Arsenal, so a home win would drag them right back into the conversation.
Liverpool v Arsenal team news
Saka is out with the quad injury he picked up against Bayern Munich in the Champions League. The winger, who was on target in England’s 7-0 win over Croatia earlier this month, is desperate to return, Arteta said, but there is no date yet.
Noni Madueke is a doubt with an ankle problem after missing Tuesday’s cup tie. Arteta said Arsenal would not know until he had tried to complete a full training session. Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori and Christos Tzolis all trained and are expected to be available, while teenager Max Dowman starts a three-match domestic ban after his red card at Fleetwood.
Liverpool are without Jeremie Frimpong, who has a muscle injury, and long-term absentees Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni. Dominik Szoboszlai and Victor Muñoz are both doubts, though Iraola said the pair still have a chance of being involved. Florian Wirtz has shaken off an ankle knock.
Form guide
Liverpool arrive on a run of five straight wins in all competitions, most recently a League Cup shootout victory over Chelsea on Wednesday. Iraola stressed that only two of those came in the league and that his side still have points to make up.
Arsenal have won seven of their eight league games, but their week was dented by a shock League Cup exit on penalties to League Two side Fleetwood Town. Arteta said afterwards that a team creating that many chances has to put them away. Before that, they beat Lille 3-0 in Europe and edged Nottingham Forest 1-0 in the league. Up front, the debate over Viktor Gyökeres and his playing time has not gone away.
| Key numbers | Liverpool | Arsenal |
|---|---|---|
| Record (8 games) | W4 D3 L1 | W7 D0 L1 |
| Points | 15 | 21 |
| Goal difference | +3 | +8 |
| Main absentees | Frimpong, Ekitike, Bradley, Leoni | Saka, Dowman (banned) |
| Kick-off / referee | 16:30 UK, Sunday / Andy Madley | |
Arsenal’s Anfield hoodoo
History is firmly on Liverpool’s side. Arsenal have not won a league game at Anfield since September 2012, when Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla scored, and Liverpool won the corresponding fixture 1-0 in August 2025.
Iraola, a childhood friend of Arteta, was full of respect for the visitors. He called them the reigning champions, said Liverpool know how good their players are, and insisted it was too early to read much into the table. He wants his team to win the duels, the aerial battles and the set pieces.
Off the pitch, Liverpool’s rebuild under returning sporting director Julian Ward is still taking shape. For more on the man in the away dugout, our sister site DGBN has looked at how Arteta joined the Premier League’s elite 250 club.
