Why Liverpool are not wearing their home shirt today in FA Cup tie against Arsenal

11 months ago 63

LIVERPOOL are not wearing their home shirt today in the FA Cup tie against Arsenal.

But that is despite the Gunners NOT using their traditional red home kit.

Liverpool will wear their purple third kit against Arsenal[/caption]

The Gunners are wearing a special all-white strip[/caption]

The North London side are instead going to play in an all-white kit produced by kit suppliers adidas.

The special edition – which sees the regular home kit but with every aspect in white including the Arsenal badge – is part of the No More Red campaign trying to end knife crime and youth violence.

Arsenal wore a similar changed strip in the FA Cup third round against Nottingham Forest in 2022 and then Oxford 12 months ago.

It means that, in theory, Liverpool could play away against Arsenal in their regular home strip as there would not be a kit clash between Arsenal’s plain white and Liverpool’s all red.

However, the two clubs agreed Jurgen Klopp’s travelling Reds will wear an alternate kit – rather than taking advantage of being able to play away in red.

But Liverpool’s away kit this season is white with green and therefore would clash with the No More Red campaign change shirt.

And therefore the Premier League leaders will turn out in their purple third kit.

Today’s game will again be a one-off outing for the strip this season while Arsenal’s women’s team will wear the kit for the first time when they play Watford in their FA Cup fourth-round meeting on January 14.

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The Gunners and adidas are not making it available for fans to buy, though.

Instead, the club will award versions to individuals who are making a positive difference in the local community and has also used previously raised funds for investment in youth facilities in Islington.

The FA Cup game comes just a week on from the fatal stabbing of 16-year-old Spurs fan Harry Pitman in North London.

Declan Rice, who appeared in a photo shoot for the kit alongside Gabriel Magalhaes, Eddie Nketiah and Leah Williamson, said: “Knife crime incidents are terrible to see.

“I want to be able to help kids, to be able to talk and use my voice and be able to show I was a youngster once and have been in tough positions as well.

“It’s about education, having the right support network – whether that’s at school or a safe space where you can go and speak to anyone.

“And for me it’s about youngsters growing up and being happy, feeling comfortable in their environment and living a good life. That’s the main thing.”