Reds eye 50th Anfield league win v Arsenal
That Liverpool will bid for their 50th Anfield league victory over Arsenal this afternoon is just one of a handful of interesting facts and figures ahead of today's clash, provided by club statistician Ged Rea.
At the time of this fixture in February, Arsenal came to Merseyside as league leaders. They left after a 5-1 defeat which saw them concede four goals in the opening 20 minutes.
Liverpool have won 16 Premier League meetings with Arsenal, with 14 losses and 14 draws. At Anfield in the Premier League era, Liverpool have recorded 10 victories, drawing six and losing six.
Nine hat-tricks have been scored by Liverpool in league games against the Gunners with each of the last four - and eight in total - coming at Anfield.
The last hat-trick came from Peter Crouch in March 2007, while Robbie Fowler scored three in 1995 when the sides met in the last fixture before the Christmas period.
Liverpool have failed to score at home to Arsenal in only two of the last 20 league meetings. The Reds' win here in February was their biggest over the Gunners at Anfield since 1964 when they clinched the title with a 5-0 victory.
Kolo Toure made 225 league appearances for Arsenal from 2002-09, scoring nine goals. In all competitions he netted 14 goals in 326 games. Toure made his Gunners debut against Liverpool in the FA Community Shield in Cardiff in a 1-0 win.
Steven Gerrard could make his 34th career appearance against the Gunners with only Jamie Carragher, with 36 games, making more for the club.
The Reds have met the Gunners in their last fixture before Christmas six times previously and have won four, with their sole defeat coming at Anfield in 2001.
Liverpool have won each of their last six games immediately prior to the holiday period when the fixture has been played at Anfield - last season they defeated Cardiff City 3-1.
The Gunners have lost just two of the last 14 league meetings with Liverpool – a 2-0 defeat at the Emirates in August 2011 and last season's reverse on Merseyside.
Should Arsenal lose today, Arsene Wenger will have a record of 12 wins, 12 draws and 12 defeats against Liverpool in the Premier League.
The Gunners have finished in the top four in each of the last 18 seasons. They last time they failed to achieve the feat was under Bruce Rioch in 1995-96.
When Calum Chambers was sent off at Stoke two weeks ago he became the 105th player to be dismissed during Arsene Wenger's reign. The first was current Gunners first-team coach Steve Bould at Anfield in a League Cup tie in November 1996.
The Londoners have won more league games at Anfield than any other visiting team (24) and at Anfield the Gunners have scored in 15 of the last 16 meetings in league and cup.
They have suffered three league defeats away from home this season - with the 3-2 loss to Stoke City a fortnight ago following losses at Chelsea and Swansea City.
Today's referre, Michael Oliver, was also in charge of this fixture last season and he awarded Arsenal a penalty, which was converted by Mikel Arteta.