Goals galore
The latest edition of a classic Premier League fixture is set to be staged this weekend when Arsenal travel to Anfield to face Jurgen Klopp’s high-flying Liverpool.
There has been no shortage of drama – or goals – in the meetings between the clubs, so we took a look back at more than half a century’s worth of vintage encounters...
15. Liverpool 2-0 Arsenal (Jan 1988)
Arsenal were confident of challenging Dalglish’s Liverpool after beating them in the Littlewoods Cup final nine months earlier, but found themselves dispatched with ease.
Steve McMahon’s superb run teed up Joan Aldridge for the opener, before Peter Beardsley dinked a finish over goalkeeper John Lukic for a 2-0 win over George Graham’s side.
14. Liverpool 3-6 Arsenal (Jan 2007)
This League Cup goal-fest at Anfield had an unlikely protagonist, with Julio Baptista netting four times as the two goalkeepers picked ball from net a remarkable nine times.
What’s more, the Brazilian could have easily found himself one strike shy of a double hat-trick, had Jerzy Dudek not saved his penalty. Madness.
13. Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal (Aug 1979)
Liverpool were the dominant force in this fixture throughout the 1970s, but the 1979 Charity Shield at Wembley best demonstrated the gulf between the teams.
Terry McDermott hammered Liverpool in front before Alan Hansen surged forward to tee up Kenny Dalglish for their second. McDermott’s second put the icing on the cake in a 3-1 win, and the Merseysiders went on to retain their league title.
12. Arsenal 3-4 Liverpool (Aug 2016)
The 2016/17 season got off to a bang as Arsenal and Liverpool served up a festival of goals at the Emirates Stadium on the opening day.
Liverpool edged it thanks to an 18-minute spell either side of the break that yielded four goals from Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho (twice) and Sadio Mané, following Theo Walcott’s opener. The Gunners threatened to make an unlikely comeback when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Calum Chambers scored to get them back in it, but Jurgen Klopp’s men held on.
11. Liverpool 3-3 Arsenal (Jan 2016)
Jurgen Klopp’s first encounter with Arsenal as Liverpool boss was a memorable one, as four goals flew in within the opening 25 minutes. Roberto Firmino bagged two for Liverpool, while Gunners stars Aaron Ramsey and Olivier Giroud profited from errors by Reds goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.
Giroud’s second goal of the game nudged Arsenal in front 10 minutes into the second half, but a 90th-minute equaliser from Joe Allen earned Klopp’s side a point.
10. Liverpool 3-2 Arsenal (Aug 1964)
The cameras were whirring on the opening day of the 1964/65 season as the first ever 'Match of the Day' was recorded. "People are saying this could be Arsenal's year," chirped commentator Kenneth Wolstenholme, ominously.
The hosts went two up through Roger Hunt and Gordon Hunt, before Arsenal pulled level with goals from Joe Baker and Geoff Strong, only for Don Howe to give the hosts a deserved victory with a winner in the dying moments. The Gunners finished 13th.
9. Arsenal 4-2 Liverpool (Apr 2004)
Although they were unbeaten in the league by April, Arsenal went into this game in poor form after being knocked out of the FA Cup semi-finals by Manchester United, and the Champions League quarter-finals by Chelsea.
Things threatened to get worse as they traipsed in at half-time 2-1 down to the visitors, but a Robert Pires equaliser and Thierry Henry double were enough to keep them on the path to becoming Invincibles.
8. Arsenal 3-0 Liverpool (Dec 1990)
Arsenal desperately needed a win over Liverpool to stand any chance of catching Dalglish’s team in the 1990/91 First Division title race – they sat six points adrift of the Reds after being handed a two-point deduction by the FA for a brawl at Old Trafford.
They duly provided the goods, with Paul Merson scrambling in the opener before Lee Dixon and Alan Smith added to the rout at Highbury. The Gunners went from strength to strength and leapfrogged Liverpool to take the title comfortably.
7. Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal (Feb 2014)
Liverpool’s dismantling of Arsenal was arguably the highlight of a superb season under Brendan Rodgers, when they came to within a whisker of their first Premier League title.
Martin Skrtel’s surprise double and strikes from Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge gave the Reds a 4-0 lead at half-time, and Sterling added another in the second half, before Mikel Arteta gave the visitors the least consolatory of consolations.
6. Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal (eventually, May 1980)
Back in the days when replays were commonplace in the FA Cup, this was a classic marathon that saw the two sides face off four times to determine who would face West Ham in the final.
The stars were Arsenal’s Alan Sunderland, who scored in the first two games, and Kenny Dalglish (obviously). Then finally, in replay number three at Coventry’s Highfield Road, Brian Talbot headed the winner for Arsenal to nudge them to Wembley and ruin Liverpool’s dreams of a domestic double. And then they lost to the second-tier Hammers...
5. Arsenal 2-1 Liverpool (May 1971)
This wasn’t a classic FA Cup final, but it did feature a memorable conclusion as Bertie Mee’s Gunners edged out Bill Shankly’s Reds at Wembley.
After 90 minutes without any goals, Steve Heighway put Liverpool ahead in extra-time before Eddie Kelly prodded in an equaliser for Arsenal. The match looked destined for a replay until Charlie George’s 20-yard thunderbolt secured a league and cup double for the north London side.
4. Liverpool 4-2 Arsenal (Apr 2008)
With Manchester United and Chelsea already safely into the Champions League semi-finals, Liverpool and Arsenal went head-to-head at Anfield for the chance to face the Blues there after drawing the first leg in London 1-1. A classic European night on Merseyside followed, with goals from Abou Diaby and Sami Hyypia making it 2-2 on aggregate at the break.
Fernando Torres found the top corner to raise the home crowd’s hopes in the second half, only for Emmanuel Adebayor to equalise with five minutes left, giving Arsenal the advantage on away goals. Cue Steven Gerrard, who stayed composed to net a late penalty, before Ryan Babel’s breakaway goal ensured Liverpool’s progress.
3. Arsenal 1-2 Liverpool (May 2001)
Arsenal should have had the 2001 FA Cup in the bag before an hour was played. Freddie Ljungberg eventually put them in front in the second half, but they were denied a more comfortable lead by a Stephane Henchoz goal-line clearance (with his hand) and Thierry Henry squandering a golden chance.
As the Gunners grew weary, Liverpool came to life. Michael Owen smashed in an equaliser, before flying past Lee Dixon and Tony Adams to clinch the winner with two minutes remaining. Robbery.
2. Liverpool 0-2 Arsenal (May 1989)
It was simple. Nothing less than a 2-0 win at Anfield against the reigning champions would be enough for Arsenal to win the title on the final day of the 1988/89 season.
Alan Smith put the visitors in front early in the second half, but they were losing faith as the clock entered the final minute. Then, in the dying seconds, Michael Thomas dinked a finish past Bruce Grobbelaar to grab the crucial second goal – and end Arsenal’s 18-year wait for a title.
1. Liverpool 4-4 Arsenal (Apr 2009)
Liverpool were just one point behind league leaders Manchester United with six games to go (albeit having played one more match) when they welcomed Arsenal to Anfield for a thriller. Amazingly, just one goal came in the first half as Andrey Arshavin fired Arsenal in front.
The game roared into life after half-time, however; Yossi Benayoun and Fernando Torres put the Reds in front, before Arshavin scored two to complete his hat-trick and restore Arsenal’s lead. Torres duly equalised for the Reds, but they weren’t done yet – Arshavin scored a remarkable fourth on the counter at the death, only for Benayoun to scramble in a leveller for Liverpool.
