Why Liverpool need their talisman fit for the Arsenal test

Getting past Chelsea on penalties in the Carabao Cup kept Liverpool’s week alive, but it did nothing to soften what is coming on Sunday. Arsenal at Anfield is the kind of fixture that exposes gaps rather than forgives them, and Andoni Iraola is acutely aware of it.

Squad rotation gives way to certainty

The Chelsea tie allowed Iraola to experiment. Younger faces were trusted, rotation was heavy, and it worked well enough to get Liverpool through. Arsenal will demand something different: control, composure and players who have already proven they can handle the moment. That shift in approach puts Dominik Szoboszlai’s fitness right at the centre of team-news conversations this week.

Where Szoboszlai’s recovery stands

Szoboszlai has been absent for Liverpool’s last three fixtures, nursing a recurring muscle issue that first flared during the win over LASK in the Champions League. He returned too soon against Brentford and lasted half an hour before being withdrawn again, a pattern that has understandably made the medical staff cautious this time around.

Iraola’s most recent comments made clear he would not be rushed back for this weekend, though he stressed the midfielder was already training alone and closing in on a return to full group sessions. Since then, the situation has moved on. Szoboszlai is back training with the squad, and there is genuine optimism that he could be involved against Arsenal, even if starting from the first minute remains a different question.

Why his availability changes the picture

This is not a case of missing a useful rotation option. Szoboszlai was named Liverpool’s Player of the Season for 2025/26, signed a new long-term deal over the summer and was handed a vice-captaincy by Iraola as a mark of trust. Eight appearances across all competitions this season have brought three goals, and his importance to how Liverpool build and press has grown rather than shrunk.

Against an Arsenal side that will look to control midfield tempo, Liverpool need the energy and vertical passing Szoboszlai offers more than almost anyone else in the squad. If he is sharp enough to start or at least contribute off the bench, Iraola’s options improve significantly. If he is not quite ready, Liverpool are back to searching for answers in a game they cannot afford to lose control of early.