Chris Sutton backs Arsenal to finally win at Anfield again
Chris Sutton believes Arsenal can finally end their long wait for a league win at Anfield, though he expects the margin to be razor thin. Arsenal have not won a Premier League match at Liverpool since 2012, a record that has survived every visit Mikel Arteta has made as manager.
Speaking via the BBC, Sutton gave his prediction for the fixture and pointed to the defensive work Liverpool have put in after a shaky campaign last season.
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“After conceding so many goals last season, you can see they (Liverpool) have really tightened things up. Arsenal don’t give much away either, so this is going to be very close. Alexander Isak is scoring goals again for the Reds, and they will be full of confidence coming into this game. You could make a case for it ending up a repeat of the result we saw at the end of last season, when Dominik Szoboszlai’s brilliant free kick meant Liverpool edged a 1-0 win. I do think we will see the same scoreline, just with a different winner,” Sutton said.
Sutton’s prediction: 0-1 to Arsenal.
A fixture that has haunted Arteta
Arsenal arrive at Anfield level on points with Manchester City at the top of the Premier League table, with the Gunners looking to defend the title they won in May. Despite that strong league position, the trip to Merseyside remains one of the most difficult on the calendar.
Arteta has never won a Premier League match at Anfield as Arsenal manager, and the Gunners have often found ways to lose even when starting games well there. The most recent meeting between the sides ended 1-0 to Liverpool, settled by a Szoboszlai free kick, and Sutton expects a similarly tight contest this time around.
Isak's form adds to the threat
Sutton specifically flagged Alexander Isak's recent scoring form as a reason for Liverpool's confidence heading into the game. Combined with the defensive improvement he identified compared to last season, Sutton sees Liverpool as a side capable of making this another low scoring, high stakes affair.
For Arsenal, a win would do more than simply end an uncomfortable statistic stretching back over a decade. It would also serve as a significant marker in the title race, given how rarely the Gunners have left Anfield with anything to show for it under Arteta.
Arsenal will need a disciplined, controlled performance if they are to finally turn years of near misses into a result that changes the narrative around this fixture.
