Arsenal made the trip north-west to Merseyside on Sunday 8th November, to take on Liverpool at the iconic Anfield Stadium in a 12pm kick-off. With just two points separating the sides in the WSL table, the fixture promised to be a closely fought encounter.
Following a tough start to the 2026/27 Women’s Super League campaign for both Arsenal and Liverpool, the sides head into the fixture knowing how valuable three points could be, as they look to strengthen their position in the league. The home side came off the back of a shock 4-1 defeat against West Ham, while the away team drew to Aston Villa the weekend prior. Both have struggled to find winning form in recent weeks, with Liverpool winless since September and Arsenal having secured just two victory since opening day. As a result, Liverpool enters the fixture on eight points with Arsenal sitting two points ahead on ten. Recent head-to-head meetings have also favoured Arsenal, with Liverpool winning just once in their last five encounters.
Arsenal narrowly beat Liverpool in a closely fought encounter at Anfield, securing a 2-1 victory thanks to an Alessia Russo Brace. However, the Gunners were made to work for all three points, with Liverpool showing resilience and creating several opportunities to find a late equaliser. Despite a determined second-half display from the hosts, Arsenal held on to claim the win.
Starting XIs:
Liverpool: Khiara Keating (GK), Grace Fisk, Natalia Ramos, Cornella Kapocs, Fuka Nagano, Vivien Endemann, Beata Olsson, Jenna Louise Clark, Kirsty MacLean, Samantha Kerr, Alejandra Bernabe.
Arsenal: Misa, Emily Ann Fox, Georgia Stanway, Leah Williamson, Stephanie Elise Catley, Caitlin Foord, Kim Little, Olivia Smith, Lisa Baum, Alessia Russo, Taylor Hinds.
Squad changes
Liverpool made one change to the side that faced West Ham, with Vivien Endemann coming into the starting line up in place of Alice Bergström. Grace Fisk captained the reds following her new contract with the club.
Arsenal made three changes, with Emily Fox, Kim Little and Lisa Baum coming into the starting XI. Kyra Cooney-Cross and Geraldine Reuteler dropped to the bench, while Ona Batlle missed out through a minor injury. Teenager Mia Dixon came into the side in place of Stina Blackstenius, who was ruled out with an achilles injury.
Russo and Fox combine to see the Gunners up at half time
Liverpool got the first half underway, with the open exchanges quickly setting the pace for the afternoon. The Reds looked to get on the front foot early, with Vivien Endemann registering the first shot of the game within the opening minutes, although the effort was lifted too high.
Arsenal soon looked to respond, winning the first corner, but Beata Olsson was on hand to clear the danger for Liverpool, Arsenal have lacked corner threat throughout the season, only scoring from one of their 105 corner kicks. The visitors continued to apply pressure, with Lisa Baum’s deflected effort, in the 5th minute, taking a dangerous touch off Sam Kerr before striking the crossbar and bouncing back out to be collected safely by goalkeeper Khiara Keating.
Liverpool looked to capitalise in the early stages, pushing forward and shifting play towards the Anfield Road end. This is until Arsenal regained possession and Olivia Smith attempted to make the most of the counterattack for Arsenal, but her efforts drifted wide of the target. Liverpool soon worked the ball forward themselves, with Cornelia Kapocs testing the goalkeeper, who gathered the short comfortably.
Arsenal found their breakthrough in the ninth minute. Emily Fox drove the ball down the wing, out-pacing Kapocs and delivered a cross straight into the penalty area, picking out Alessia Russo, who guided the ball into the bottom right corner to put the Gunners ahead.
Liverpool responded brilliantly to going behind, continuing to push forward in search of an equaliser. In the 15th minute, Natalia Ramos picked out Olsson with a perfectly weighted chipped pass, sending her through on goal. With Leah Williamson closing in, Olsson took the opportunity on her right foot and calmly slid the ball into the bottom left corner to bring Liverpool level.
Play resumed with Arsenal back in possession, but Liverpool soon threatened, as Baum sent the ball out of play for a corner.
As the game progressed, the intensity began to rise, with challenges coming from both sides. In the 27th minute Caitlin Foord brought Kerr down as Liverpool looked to move forward just before Steph Catley made a challenge on Kapocs awarding Liverpool a freekick. From around 30 yards out from the penalty area, Spain’s Natalia Ramos unleashed a powerful strike from distance, forcing Arsenal goalkeeper Misa Rodríguez to sharply react tipping the effort over the cross bar.
Liverpool looked to make the most of the resulting corner in the 28th minute, with the delivery whipped into the penalty area, taking a touch off of Fox. Edemann and Catley both moved to challenge for the ball, which resulted in a deflection off Rodríguez before falling into the path of Jenna Clark, who made no mistake in finding the back of the net. However, Liverpool’s celebrations were cut short as the flag went up and the goal was ruled offside.
Arsenal looked to launch a quick attack as Russo managed to retrieve possession before driving forward and threading a well-weighted through ball into the path of Caitlin Foord who carried the ball forward before seeing her effort drift wide of the left post. Arsenal maintained their attacking momentum, pressing Liverpool into mistakes and capitalising on misplaced passes to regain possession. Another loose pass from the Reds allowed the visitors to break forward, with Georgia Stanway presented with a further opportunity on goal. She looked to make the most of the opening, however her shot failed to find the target going wide. Piling on the pressure of Liverpool Olivia smith and Taylor Hinds both looked to add to their sides attacking threat. Smith saw her effort block by Grace Fisk to deny Smith on the first-time strike, before bouncing into the path of Hinds followed with a strike that sailed over the crossbar.
Doubling their advantage in the 45th minute, Arsenal's well worked attacking move started as Fox drove towards the edge of the penalty area before playing the ball out to Baum on her right. Baum delivered a cross into the box, where Russo arrived to meet it with a downward header. Keating dived to her left in attempt to keep it out but was just short as the ball bounced once before finding the bottom left corner.
1 minute of added time was indicated at the end of the first half before the referee brought the opening 45 minutes to a close.
Half-Time Score: Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal
Arsenal weather Liverpool pressure to secure the win
The second half saw both sides make changes in an attempt to influence the game, with Arsenal making a double substitution in the 56th minute. Catley and Baum made way for Élisa De Almeida and Frida Maanum. Liverpool responded 6 minutes later, introducing Alice Bergström and Mao Itamura in place of Edemann and Ramos.
The Reds made a further change in the 66th minute, with Alejandra Bernabé making way for Mari Ward as Liverpool looked to find a route back into the game.
Arsenal came close to extending their advantage in the 72nd minute. Williamson picked out Stanway with a chipped pass, allowing her to deliver a cross into the penalty area towards Russo, who was looking to complete her hat-trick. Russo got a touch on the delivery but couldn’t generate enough power to direct it past Keating. The Liverpool goalkeeper had already committed herself in an attempt to make the save, but the ball flew out of play for a goal kick.
Liverpool looked to respond immediately, using the goal kick to launch an attack of their own. Bergström delivered a cross into the penalty area, but Arsenal managed to clear the initial danger. Itamura recovered the loose ball and continued the attack, with her attempted delivery taking a touch off Hinds before going behind for a Liverpool corner.
Arsenal made another double substitution in the 77th minute, with Smith and Kim Little replaced by Kyra Cooney-Cross and Smilla Holmberg. Caitlin Foord was shown a yellow card in the 80th minute as the intensity of the game rose.
Liverpool continued to search for an equaliser, with Itamura intercepting possession just outside Arsenal's penalty area in the 84th minute. She took the opportunity to get a shot away, but Arsenal goalkeeper Rodríguez remained composed, gathering the effort comfortably.
The Reds continued to build pressure as Bergström threaded a pass through to Itamura once again. This time, Itamura looked to pick out Kapocs with a cross into the penalty area, finding her in space. However, Kapocs was unable to bring the ball under control and get a clean strike away, with the opportunity going wide of the post.
The visitors made a further change in the 85th minute, with Hinds forced off with a knock and replaced by Lotte Wubben-Moy. As the former Liverpool vice-captain made her way off the pitch, she was met with boos from the home supporters.
With five minutes of added time, Liverpool continued to push forward in search of a late equaliser. The closing stages produced a frantic spell of attacking play, with the Reds throwing players forward and Arsenal desperately working to protect their lead.
In the 90th minute, Ward drove the ball into the penalty area before attempting to find Beata Olsson with a pass across goal. The ball travelled through Olsson's legs, allowing Williamson to get across and make a crucial block. With the ball loose inside the box, Kapocs moved in to take a shot, but Wubben-Moy was on hand to block the effort.
The scramble continued as Olsson became entangled with Williamson, who was still on the ground, before Fuka Nagano attempted to get a shot away. However, she was unable to generate enough power to trouble the Arsenal defence. The ball fell back towards Williamson, who, despite still being on the floor, managed to tap it into the path of Holmberg. Holmberg reacted quickly to clear the danger from inside the Arsenal penalty area, bringing Liverpool's late attacking threat to an end. Despite Liverpool's sustained pressure and several opportunities to find a late equaliser, Arsenal held firm. The referee then blew the Final whistle, confirming a 2-1 victory for the visitors at Anfield.
Emily Fox Reflects on Arsenal’s Anfield Victory
Following Arsenal's 2-1 victory over Liverpool, Emily Fox reflected on the importance of her side showing resilience and character to see out results, particularly when facing sustained pressure from their opposition.
Retrospecting on the closing stages of the match, Fox highlighted the defensive effort required to maintain their advantage, saying “I think that was capitalised by the last 15 minutes of the game where Leah’s on the ground toe poking it and we have some great blocks and great saves”.
She went on to emphasise the significance of securing all three points at Anfield, adding: “Being able to get the win today, that was huge, and at Anfield, at this stadium”.
Looking ahead to Arsenal’s midweek Champions League fixture against Barcelona, Fox also recognised how important those qualities would be in their next challenge: “We play Barca away next game and so having that grit and resilience is going to be huge for that game.”
Indeed, Arsenal face their toughest test yet as they travel to Barcelona for a massive Champions League clash at Camp Nou on Thursday night, whilst Liverpool take on an in-form Aston Villa at home in the Subway Player’s Cup on Wednesday. League action returns next weekend, Arsenal returning to the Emirates for a clash against London City Lionesses and Liverpool are on the road to face Brighton at the AMEX.