Arsenal vs. Liverpool Prediction: Leaders Face Champions in London

• Arsenal lead the way in the Premier League at the beginning of 2026

• Liverpool are the defending champions but they have struggled this season

• Arsenal are the favorites, but which way will Thursday’s encounter go?

Arsenal vs. Liverpool Odds

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My +150 Pick for Arsenal vs. Liverpool

Liverpool beat Arsenal to the Premier League title last term, but they are not the same team in 2025/26. The Gunners can take advantage of Liverpool’s defensive struggles on Thursday.

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Arsenal Aim to Maintain Comfortable Lead at Top of the Table

Arsenal have come through the slight wobble they had in November and December. It is not that Mikel Arteta’s men were particularly bad in that period, but away draws with Sunderland and Chelsea (both acceptable results in isolation) gave belief to Manchester City and Aston Villa, their two rivals for the Premier League title. 

A defeat by Villa themselves also represented a setback for Arsenal, who were not entirely convincing in narrow home victories over Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Everything changed with a 4-1 thumping of Aston Villa on the penultimate day of 2025. Arsenal were not perfect in that match. Villa were the better side in the first half, when they caused their opponents problems on the counter-attack. But Arsenal blitzed Unai Emery’s charges after the interval, resulting in their most emphatic triumph since they beat Tottenham Hotspur by the same scoreline on November 23.

Arsenal followed that success up with another at the weekend. This time it was closer, as Arteta’s team edged out Bournemouth 3-2. The Cherries arguably did enough to earn a point, but Arsenal were more ruthless in the final third. 

At the same time, Manchester City have slipped up in the post-Christmas period. They were held to a 0-0 draw by Sunderland at the Stadium of Light on New Year’s Day, before dropping two more points in a 1-1 draw with Chelsea last time out. All of which has increased Arsenal’s lead at the summit of the standings to six points, with City and Villa now level. 

“It demands a lot of energy, a lot of desire, a lot of focus and we have to do it,” Arteta said of the hectic fixture list. “At this moment I think we have nine games [in January]... but when I see the involvement and commitment of the players, we have to do it.”

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Liverpool Refocused on Top-Four Finish With Title Out of Reach

When Liverpool beat Arsenal 1-0 at Anfield on the last day of August, they were seen as the team to beat in the Premier League title race. The Reds were the defending champions, after all, and they had spent the summer making their title-winning roster even better, splashing out hundreds of millions of dollars on the likes of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.

To say that things have not gone to plan would be an understatement. Liverpool won each of their first five games, albeit not without problems, and then their form collapsed. Remarkably, Arne Slot’s side lost six of their next seven outings to slide down the standings, essentially bringing their title challenge to an end in the fall.

The situation has stabilized to a degree since then. Liverpool are unbeaten in eight league matches going back to November 30. They have stopped the rot and made themselves harder to beat again. But half of those eight contests have been draws, including against Leeds United and Fulham in their first two assignments of 2026.

Arsenal, Manchester City and Aston Villa have opened up a significant lead over the chasing pack, which for now leaves only one more guaranteed Champions League qualification spot. Chelsea and Manchester United are struggling even more than Liverpool, leaving Slot’s team in fourth place for now. But Liverpool will remain vulnerable to being overtaken for as long as they keep delivering underwhelming performances.

Slot sounded curiously fatalistic after the 2-2 draw with Fulham at the weekend, when Harrison Reed’s late stunner denied his team all three points.

“I think if you are not a part of Liverpool and you don't follow us every game then you think you win it,” he said. “But unfortunately, I am experiencing this for months now that the first chance the other team gets and the only chance they got in the first half led to a goal.”

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Arsenal Should Pick Up Three More Points on Home Turf

Liverpool will hope to have Ekitike back for this game after he missed the draw with Fulham, while there are concerns over Wirtz's fitness too. With Isak on the treatment table and Mohamed Salah at the Africa Cup of Nations, Liverpool's offense has been weakened.

There are persistent issues for the Reds at the other end of the field too. Kerkez has been steadier of late, but this has still been a difficult start to his Liverpool career. Ibrahima Konate has struggled at center-back and Virgil van Dijk has not been at his best. There are signs, too, that Alisson Becker's best years may be behind him.

Arsenal can take advantage. For the first time all season, they have a full set of attacking players to choose from. Kai Havertz is closing in on a return and could make the bench here, while Gabriel Jesus is fit again and has looked sharp in his recent performances.

Arsenal scored in both halves against Bournemouth at the weekend. When facing this shaky Liverpool defense, they can do the same on Thursday.

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How to Watch Arsenal vs. Liverpool

• Teams: Arsenal vs. Liverpool

• Location: Emirates Stadium, London, England

• Date and Time: Thursday 8th January, 3pm ET

• How to Watch: Peacock Premium