Mikel Arteta will look to the past when he faces Liverpool on Sunday, hoping to erase the painful memories of his own Anfield defeats. The former Everton player described the feeling of helplessness at Anfield in 2011 as “bajar,” a Spanish word meaning to fall, and recalled how the game seemed to collapse after a promising start. That experience has haunted him ever since, and the upcoming Merseyside derby will test whether his current Arsenal side can finally break the curse.
Arsenal’s record at Anfield has been bleak. After a win in September 2012 that came on the back of five previous defeats, the club has not won there in the Premier League for 13 matches, matching Liverpool’s worst run at their own ground. Their only recent triumph at Anfield was a 2020 League Cup shoot‑out victory, and the 4‑0 loss in November 2021, where Arteta had even played “You’ll Never Walk Alone” in the training room, remains a low point. Critics such as Gary Neville have accused Arteta of lacking the mentality to win big away games, a claim that is reinforced by Arsenal’s failure to beat Manchester City at the Etihad since 2015. The manager will need to prove that his side can perform when the stakes are high.
The squad is not at its best heading into the match. Strikers Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres have been given a start at Fleetwood, a move that appears to have been made to relieve pressure on Martin Ødegaard, but both are out of form. Bukayo Saka is sidelined with a thigh injury, Noni Madueke is doubtful after an ankle knock, and Max Dowman is suspended for three games following a red‑card appeal. With these absences, Arteta’s safest bet is to adopt the cautious approach that won him the Premier League title last season: tight defence, disciplined structure, and a focus on set pieces.
Arteta has often cited the 1988‑89 season as a model for how to win at Anfield. In that campaign, George Graham’s Arsenal needed a 2‑0 win to clinch the title, and he famously ordered his players to keep the first half tight, refusing to attack from the start. Graham’s emphasis on defence paid off, as Liverpool failed to score and Arsenal secured the championship with a stoppage‑time goal. Arteta, who was 44 when he won his first league title, has mirrored Graham’s philosophy, recording 32 1‑0 victories in the Premier League since taking over in December 2019. He has repeatedly stressed the importance of a solid defensive foundation, noting that excelling in that area “will very, very high the chances of winning more matches.”
Arsenal’s recent Carabao Cup exit at Fleetwood, a 4‑3 penalty shoot‑out loss, may have stretched the squad but also provided a silver lining: the team will be fresher for the Premier League clash. Arteta will need to channel the spirit of the 1989 triumph, where Arsenal players even presented flowers to Liverpool fans after the Hillsborough disaster, to overcome the psychological barrier that has kept them from success at Anfield. If he can keep the defence compact and exploit set‑piece opportunities, Arsenal may finally erase the long‑standing Anfield curse and secure a much‑deserved victory.