Chris Sutton backs Arsenal to end awful record at Anfield
Arsenal travel to Anfield for one of their toughest fixtures of the season, with Mikel Arteta still waiting to record his first Premier League victory at the stadium as manager. The Gunners have not won a league game there since 2012, and that unwanted record could continue if Liverpool maintain their strong form.
Arteta will be determined to end the poor run, but history suggests it will not be an easy task. Arsenal have struggled at Anfield even when they start matches well, often failing to turn promising performances into wins.
The Gunners are joint top of the Premier League table on points with Manchester City and will be keen to defend the title they won in May. However, they face a difficult challenge against a Liverpool side that will be confident of securing another important result in front of their supporters.
Sutton expects a closely contested match
Chris Sutton believes Arsenal can finally end their Anfield hoodoo, although he expects the game to be decided by a narrow margin. The former footballer has highlighted the defensive improvements made by Liverpool while also recognising Arsenal’s ability to make life difficult for their opponents.
Speaking via the BBC, Sutton predicted:
“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’s prediction: 0-1”
Arsenal aim to end their Anfield hoodoo
Sutton expects the encounter to follow a similar pattern to the previous meeting between the sides, when Liverpool won 1-0, but believes Arsenal will come away with the victory this time.
A win would be significant for Arteta, who has yet to claim a league victory at Anfield. It would also send a strong message about Arsenal’s title ambitions, particularly given the difficulty of winning at such a challenging venue.
The Gunners know they must be at their best to achieve that goal, but they will travel to Merseyside determined to end their long wait for success.
