Liverpool take on Arsenal this Sunday, with the Gunners looking for their first Premier League win at Anfield in almost 11 years.
Despite their poor record at the stadium, plenty will have Mikel Arteta’s table-toppers installed as favourites this weekend. With Liverpool looking dire, they may never have a better chance to break their Anfield hoo-doo.
But in the meantime, only one Liverpool team has been beaten by their North London Counterparts in over a decade. They did grab a Carabao Cup win on penalties in L4 back in 2020. But for their last league win, they have to go a little further back. So, without further ado, here’s the XI put out by Brendan Rodgers on Sunday September 2nd 2012.
Defence
Back in 2012, just as it is in 2023, there was no denying who would keep goal for Liverpool. Pepe Reina may not have been in the best form, but with Brad Jones on the bench, he was still clearly the Reds first choice.
Rodgers’ centre-back options were a little less clear. But in Martin Skrtel and Daniel Agger he had a pretty dependable back two. Jamie Carragher on the bench might have disagreed, but this looked solid enough.
Either side of those two, Jose Enrique slotted in on the left, with Glen Johnson a stalwart on the right.
Midfield
Against a sturdy-looking midfield of Abou Diaby and Arteta himself, Rodgers opted to pack the middle of the pitch. Joe Allen continued having recently been brought in from Swansea City, while Steven Gerrard was still a key man at thirty-two.
Big things were expected from new loan signing Nuri Sahin. But in the end, this loss at Anfield was one of only 12 games he managed for Liverpool during his ill-fated move from Real Madrid. He was hauled off for Jonjo Shelvey with 20 minutes to go.
With the Reds utilising a fluid diamond formation, Raheem Sterling found himself in a slightly unfamiliar midfield position. Still only seventeen. Wow.
Attack
With Sterling and Gerrard also playing slightly further up the pitch, Rodgers went with two central strikers to get the goals.
Unfortunately, neither Luis Suarez nor new signing Fabio Borini were able to provide them on this Sunday afternoon. Borini was even replaced before the hour by Stewart Downing as Rodgers tried a different tack – to no avail.
Better days were ahead for Suarez, who would go on to score 23 Premier League goals that season. For Borini though, it would never happen for him at Anfield. Signed for £11m from Roma, he played just 38 times across two seasons on Merseyside, scoring a paltry three goals. No wonder Liverpool lost.
The XI put out by Jurgen Klopp tomorrow is bound to be better than this one, but Arteta’s team are flying. Fingers crossed this is still the last Liverpool side to lose to Arsenal in the Premier League at Anfield come 7pm on Sunday.
Liverpool XI Sunday 2nd September 2012: Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Agger, Enrique; Allen, Sahin, Gerrard, Sterling; Suarez, Borini
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