Arteta urged to draw on Arsenal’s 1989 Anfield triumph

Mikel Arteta can look to Arsenal’s celebrated 1989 title triumph at Anfield for a template as his side attempts to end a 13-match winless league run at Liverpool, The Guardian reports. Arsenal have not won a Premier League match at Anfield since September 2012, when goals from Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla secured victory. Their only win at the stadium since then came in the League Cup on penalties in 2020, during Arteta’s second visit as manager.

The current sequence equals the club’s worst league run at Liverpool. Arteta has personal memories of difficult visits to Anfield. While playing for Everton in 2011, he described feeling helpless during a heavy defeat, using the Spanish word “bajar” to depict a cyclist suddenly losing momentum.

He eventually won there as an Arsenal player in 2012, but spent the night in hospital after colliding with Jordan Henderson and suffering concussion. The Guardian says Arsenal’s latest challenge comes after they were eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Fleetwood, a team 84 places below them in the football pyramid. Arsenal had also been criticised after last season’s defeat at Liverpool, when Dominik Szoboszlai scored a late free-kick following three successive draws between the sides.

Arsenal’s squad has further complications. Bukayo Saka is out with a thigh injury, Noni Madueke has an ankle concern and Max Dowman will miss three matches after his unsuccessful red-card appeal. Kai Havertz and Viktor Gyökeres started together in the Fleetwood match, although The Guardian says both strikers appear out of form.

The suggested alternative is caution rather than an all-out attack. George Graham’s Arsenal arrived at Anfield in 1989 needing to win 2-0 to take the title. Graham later said he had insisted that his players keep the first half tight, reasoning that an early Liverpool goal could have ended the contest.

That approach has echoes in Arteta’s record. Since taking over in December 2019, he has overseen 32 1-0 Premier League victories, more than any other club apart from Everton. The Guardian presents defensive organisation as a central feature of Arsenal’s successful title challenge last season.

Arsenal may also target Liverpool’s vulnerability at set pieces. The visitors scored their first set-piece goal of the season in a routine 2-0 victory over Everton last Saturday. The Guardian says exploiting that weakness while remaining compact could offer Arteta the most effective route to victory.

The match also brings Arteta together with his childhood friend Andoni Iraola. Liverpool, under Iraola, have been finding their feet in recent weeks, according to The Guardian. For Arteta, the fixture represents another opportunity to challenge claims that Arsenal lack the mentality to win major away matches.