Liverpool vs Arsenal: Can Mikel Arteta Finally Break the 14-Year Anfield Curse?
by Devesh Jaganath | by Devesh Jaganath
The 13-Match Anfield Hoodoo Weighing on Arteta and Arsenal
Fourteen long years. For Mikel Arteta and generations of Arsenal supporters, Anfield has become more than just a daunting away ground - it is a fortress they have repeatedly failed to conquer in the Premier League.
Not since September 2012 - when Mikel Arteta himself controlled the Gunners’ midfield alongside Abou Diaby and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in a 2-0 victory - have the Gunners managed to leave the red side of Merseyside with all three points in a top-flight fixture.
To understand the weight on Arsenal’s shoulders, you have to look at the sheer scale of the Anfield curse!
Arteta has tried every trick in the book to alter the outcome of this fixture, including famously blasting “You’ll Never Walk Alone” through their training ground speakers. Despite this, the Reds have continued to dominate the North Londoners on their home patch, as shown in our Premier League predictions.
Adding to the storyline of this clash, Arsenal arrive at Anfield as wounded giants trying to process one of the most shocking results in modern club history: their midweek EFL Cup elimination at the hands of fourth-tier Fleetwood Town.
While Arteta made several changes to his starting XI for that fixture, the psychological impact of such a historic upset cannot simply be dismissed, and the pressure on the Spaniard to bounce back this weekend has intensified considerably over the past 72 hours.
Liverpool, meanwhile, enter the matchup off the back of booking their place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup by beating Chelsea on penalties and riding a five-match win streak across all competitions, scoring 15 goals in the process (averaging 3 goals per match).
The Reds downed high-flying Brighton & Hove Albion in their last home league game and have only suffered three defeats at Anfield in 2026, two of which were against Manchester City, either side of a 2-0 loss to Paris Saint-Germain in last season’s Champions League quarter-finals.
Arsenal’s Winless Premier League Record at Anfield
| Date / Season | Competition | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2025–26 (Jan 8, 2026) | Premier League | 0–0 (Draw) |
| 2024–25 (Oct 27, 2024) | Premier League | 2–2 (Draw) |
| 2023–24 (Feb 4, 2024) | Premier League | 3–1 (Loss) |
| 2022–23 (Apr 9, 2023) | Premier League | 2–2 (Draw) |
| 2021–22 (Nov 20, 2021) | Premier League | 4–0 (Loss) |
| 2020–21 (Sep 28, 2020) | Premier League | 3–1 (Loss) |
| 2019–20 (Aug 24, 2019) | Premier League | 3–1 (Loss) |
| 2018–19 (Dec 29, 2018) | Premier League | 5–1 (Loss) |
| 2017–18 (Aug 27, 2017) | Premier League | 4–0 (Loss) |
| 2016–17 (Mar 4, 2017) | Premier League | 3–1 (Loss) |
| 2015–16 (Jan 13, 2016) | Premier League | 3–3 (Draw) |
| 2014–15 (Dec 21, 2014) | Premier League | 2–2 (Draw) |
| 2013–14 (Feb 8, 2014) | Premier League | 5–1 (Loss) |
Player Focus: No Saka and Saliba Against In-form Isak and Wirtz
As if breaking their 14-year hoodoo is not hard enough to do at full strength, Arsenal will now have to navigate Sunday’s blockbuster without the explosive attacking output of Bukayo Saka and the defensive security of William Saliba. Check out our Liverpool vs Arsenal prediction for more team news.
Another potential issue comes in the form of Riccardo Calafiori, who started last weekend’s fixture against Everton on the bench due to a knock, went straight down the tunnel afterwards, and was not part of the squad for their defeat at Fleetwood in midweek.
Gabriel Magalhaes will have to anchor the Gunners’ backline once again, and while Ezri Konsa has stepped up impressively in the absence of Saliba, this is arguably his toughest test yet in an Arsenal jersey, as he is set to go up against two of the league’s most in-form attackers.
Alexander Isak is starting to show why Liverpool splashed £125 million to bring him to Anfield!
The Swedish international has scored six goals in his last six Premier League matches, which translates to two-thirds of his team’s goals during this period. He now has the second-highest xG per 90 in the top flight (0.67), only behind Manchester City’s Erling Haaland (0.77).
Despite facing criticism after his first season in England, Florian Wirtz has found his feet this term. The German attacking midfielder has created the second-most chances in the league this season (22) and registered three goal contributions in his last four appearances (one goal and two assists).
