Arsenal vs Liverpool: Classic clashes between the Premier League rivals

Liverpool host Arsenal on Saturday night in a clash steeped in history. More importantly though, it's been the source of outstanding entertainment in the Premier League era.

Both sides have been division stalwarts since its inception in 1992, meaning with been (sometimes) blessed with no less than 58 meetings between the two in that time.

Ahead of Premier League battle number 59, here are seven of the best clashes during that time to whet your appetite ahead of the upcoming Anfield showdown.

1. Liverpool 3-0 Arsenal - 1994

Arsenal had their worst season for 25 years last term with their eighth-place finish. Their worst season since...1994/95.

Not a happy time for the club, and one that Robbie Fowler made all the worse when the Gunners visited Anfield. The sprightly young 18-year-old not only scored a hat-trick, but he did so in four minutes 33 seconds: a Premier League record.

That feat has since (somehow) been broken, but it nevertheless made for an incredible day of Premier League football. If you want to watch that one back, then I reckon about four minutes and 33 seconds of highlights will do.

2. Liverpool 1-2 Arsenal - 2001

An intensely fought title race reached a potentially decisive moment just 18 matches into the 2001/02 season, when Arsenal made the trip to Anfield. Behind the Reds in the table, it appeared as if they would fall further adrift when Giovanni van Bronckhorst was controversially sent off with 35 minutes on the clock.

However, the ten-men rallied and went into a two-goal lead through Thierry Henry and Freddie Ljungberg after 53 minutes, but Jari Litmanen struck back just minutes later to set up a tense finale. Patrik Berger twice came close to equalising, but Arsenal stood firm.

That result saw Arsenal move into second behind Newcastle, but they never looked back and went the rest of the season unbeaten on course to a second Premier League title.

3. Arsenal 4-2 Liverpool - 2004

Henry was unstoppable most days, but he took to a different level when Liverpool came to Highbury during the Gunners' 'Invincibles' campaign of 2003/04.

Sami Hyypia saw his opener cancelled out by Henry, but the visitors fought back to take the lead once more when Steven Gerrard set Michael Owen up with a superb through ball.

Arsene Wenger's men came flying out of the blocks after the break in response, with Robert Pires firing home four minutes into the half. Seconds after that, Henry turned on the style.

Picking the ball up near the centre circle, he waltzed his way through the entire Liverpool team with sublime nonchalance, before slotting beyond Jerzy Dudek. 12 minutes from time he completed his hat-trick to put the Gunners seven points clear at the top of the table.

4. Liverpool 4-4 Arsenal - 2009

Arsenal fans will bemoan their inability to hold on to their lead deep into stoppage time, but from a neutral's perspective, the Andrey Arshavin show was an unbelievable individual display that helped mark one of the division's best ever matches.

A quite ridiculous encounter went back and forth between the two sides, with the Russian netting all four for the Gunners.

He looked to have won the engrossing encounter with a superb breakaway fourth goal in the 90th minute, only for Yossi Benayoun to net the eighth goal of the evening deep into stoppage time.

5. Arsenal 1-1 Liverpool - 2011

The scoreline might not suggest much of an engrossing clash, but the events in stoppage time more than make up for the lack of goals in the rest of the game.

With just seven matches left to play, Arsenal knew victory over Liverpool would move them to within four points of Manchester United at the top of the table.

Chances fell to both sides in a frantic encounter, but it took until the 98th minute for either side to break the deadlock. A head injury to Jamie Carragher prompted the lengthy extension, one the Gunners looked like making the most of when Robin van Persie tucked home a 98th minute penalty.

Just needing to hold on for a few more minutes, Emmanuel Eboue clattered into Lucas Leiva in the box to grant the visitors their own chance from the spot, one Dirk Kuyt duly accepted.

6. Liverpool 5-1 Arsenal - 2014

Liverpool utterly humiliated Arsenal on home soil six years ago - this despite Wenger's side heading to Anfield as league leaders after the 24 previous rounds of fixtures.

A devastating 20-minute blitz starting from the first minute saw Brendan Rodgers' side saw the hosts race into a 4-0 lead, one that was added to in the second half by Raheem Sterling.

Current Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta grabbed a consolation goal from the penalty spot, but it did nothing to prevent the Gunners winning just two of their next nine matches and eventually finishing third in the table.

7. Arsenal 3-3 Liverpool - 2017

An incredible encounter back in 2017 would finish with honours even, despite Liverpool boasting a two-goal lead after 52 minutes. Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah had got the ball rolling for the Reds, who looked comfortably on course for three points.

A remarkable spell from the hosts turned the game on its head, as Alexis Sanchez, Granit Xhaka and Mesut Ozil all scored in a five-minute spell to send the Emirates into raptures.

Their lead lasted for only 13 minutes, though. Roberto Firmino found space in front of the box and managed to swivel his way into a shooting position. Petr Cech got a strong hand to his effort, but it bounced into the air and into the net to level the scores.