Why are Arsenal wearing an all-white kit at home against Liverpool?

The kit ‘drained of red’ will be sported during the Gunners’ FA Cup third-round match against Liverpool on Sunday

Arsenal will wear their all-white kit, which supports the club’s campaign against knife crime and youth violence, in a home match for the first time this weekend.

The Gunners take on Liverpool in the FA Cup third round at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon and will be sporting an all-white kit for a home game for the very first time in their 138-year history.

Arsenal’s normal home red-and-white kit will be “drained of red” as part of their ‘No More Red’ campaign that helps fight knife crime and youth violence on the streets of London.

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As part of the campaign, the Gunners and kit manufacturers Adidas are investing in more safe spaces to play football in Islington, with 2024 set to see the opening of a third refurbished community pitch in the area since the campaign was launched.

(Action Images via Reuters)

They have worn the all-white kit on two previous occasions, both of which were FA Cup third-round clashes – the 2022 defeat to Nottingham Forest and the 3-0 win over Oxford 12 months ago – although those matches were away games. Never before in their history have they worn all-white in a competitive home fixture.

The kit is not available to purchase but fans will be able to buy a new bespoke community t-shirt with 100 per cent of the £30 retail price being donated to the ‘No More Red’ campaign’s charity partners.

Arsenal’s women’s team will also don the all-white kit on-pitch for the first time when they face Watford in the FA Cup fourth round later in January.

Arsenal won away at Oxford while wearing the all-white kit in last season’s FA Cup (Getty Images)

The Gunners are trying to win the FA Cup for a record-extending 15th time this season, with their most recent victory coming in 2020, when Mikel Arteta picked up his first trophy as manager.

They have had a tough festive period in the Premier League, with defeats to West Ham, Fulham and a draw with Liverpool seeing them collect just one point from nine and tumble from top of the table down to fourth.

Arteta will hope to use the FA Cup as a welcome distraction and is expected to name a strong team for Sunday’s clash as they try to derail the recent good form of Jurgen Klopp’s Reds.