After Manchester City and Aston Villa both dropped points against Brighton and Crystal Palace, Arsenal had the chance to open an eight-point gap at the top of the Premier League with a win over Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Thursday.

The Gunners were aiming for a sixth consecutive victory, while the Reds hoped to extend their unbeaten run to seven matches.

Liverpool unbeaten against Arsenal since February 2024

In August, Dominik Szoboszlai’s 83rd-minute free-kick handed Arsenal their first defeat of the 2025/26 campaign. Liverpool have also remained unbeaten in competitive fixtures against Arsenal since February 2024, although the Reds have scored just five goals to Arsenal’s four in those matches.

At the Emirates, Arsenal had been formidable this season, winning nine of their 10 league games and drawing one. Liverpool, meanwhile, had won four, drawn two, and lost four away from Anfield but were on a four-match unbeaten streak on the road.

Team news

Arsenal made two changes from recent matches, with Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard replacing Gabriel Martinelli and Noni Madueke. Liverpool swapped Curtis Jones for Jeremie Frimpong. Hugo Ekitike, Liverpool’s top scorer this season with eight league goals, was unavailable, a significant blow given the Reds have won only 30% of matches this season without him in the starting XI, compared to a 63% win rate when he starts.

Milestones and stats

Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard made his 150th Premier League start, becoming the 32nd player to reach the milestone for the club. Trossard, meanwhile, continued his fine record at the Emirates, having scored or assisted in two of his last three league home starts.

Liverpool fielded four Dutch outfielders — Frimpong, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch, and Cody Gakpo — the most in a Premier League starting XI since Middlesbrough in 2004.

First-half dominance for Arsenal

The opening exchanges were dominated by Arsenal. Trossard had a blocked shot and was booked early, while the Gunners completed 42 successful passes into the final third in the first 20 minutes — compared to just four for Liverpool.

Arsenal thrived down the left, exploiting Frimpong’s attacking tendencies to create overloads against Conor Bradley. Martin Odegaard and Declan Rice kept Arsenal’s ball circulation flowing, completing passes at 94.3% and 91.5% accuracy, respectively.

By half-time, Arsenal had retained 75% possession in the final 15 minutes, with William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes anchoring the defence and keeping Liverpool at bay. Meanwhile, Liverpool failed to register a single shot on target in the first half for the second consecutive Premier League game — a feat last seen in December 2015.

Second-half momentum swings

After the break, Liverpool dominated possession (69%) and gradually pushed Arsenal back. Gakpo and Bradley were heavily involved in one-on-one duels, attempting 14 and 12 challenges respectively.

Arteta reacted just after the hour mark, replacing Viktor Gyokeres and Trossard with Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus. Gyokeres, who has struggled since his move from Sporting, had just seven touches in the first 45 minutes, highlighting his ongoing issues in contributing to Arsenal’s attack.

Liverpool’s attack remained toothless; they failed to register a shot on target for the first time since March 2010 against Wigan Athletic. Arsenal only managed two shots on target in the second half, the first arriving in the 91st minute — the longest the Gunners had gone in a league second half without a shot since September 2024 against Manchester City.

Takeaways

The goalless draw leaves Arsenal’s advantage at the top intact but denies them the chance to put daylight between themselves and the chasing pack. For Liverpool, it was a frustrating evening, as their lack of attacking purpose was exposed despite periods of pressure.

The match underscored Arsenal’s dominance in possession and passing efficiency, while also highlighting Liverpool’s reliance on Ekitike for goals and their struggles to break down a disciplined, well-organised Arsenal side.