FROM ANFIELD LOSS TO TABLE TOPPERS: THE INCREDIBLE RISE OF MIKEL ARTETA’S GUNNERS
Arsenal looks to extend its lead to 8 points against a struggling Liverpool side. We analyse Arteta’s tactics and the title race.
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Gunners can move eight points clear and take a big step towards the title.
After Arsenal lost at Anfield back in August, the usual crowd of pundits didn’t hold back. The season had just started, but the game already felt loaded—a chance for Liverpool, who’d splashed the cash all summer, to flex their muscles. For Arsenal, it was supposed to be a shot at proving things were different this time.
Didn’t go that way. Szoboszlai curled in a late free kick, Liverpool won 1-0, and honestly, there was barely anything to get excited about. Arsenal managed just one shot on target.
Gary Neville said Arsenal looked like they were “happy not to lose.” Carragher claimed nothing had changed. Peter Schmeichel called their football “ugly.” Liverpool pulled three points clear, and, at that moment, it felt like the old story for Arsenal.
But fast forward 17 games, and the script’s flipped. Arsenal have swung the gap by 17 points and now sit top of the table. The city’s third straight draw on Wednesday cracked the door wide open, and now Arsenal can push eight points clear.
Even months later, you can tell Mikel Arteta hasn’t forgotten the noise after that Anfield defeat. At his press conference this week, he looked a bit exasperated. “People are entitled to their opinions; mine was different, but that’s the beauty of football,” he said. When pressed, he just repeated, “Very different.”
Later, he opened up a bit more. He talked about how people always second-guess the line-up choices, especially when things go wrong. “We know. We know their physical state, probably more, because nobody asked me. Are the other players available to start? Nobody asked. People assume that.
“We have all the information. You guys don’t, and it’s normal, and we don’t want to provide that either. So normally, with the information that you have, you have to make the judgment that, in your opinion, was the best case to win the game. That has to be accepted.”
This time, Arteta and Arsenal don’t want to leave any room for debate. The injury worries have eased, and this is a fierce squad, especially up front. Eberechi Eze hasn’t even gotten on the pitch in the last four games.
The Gunners have taken maximum points from a tough festive stretch and now welcome a Liverpool team that’s stumbling and short on confidence.
Arsenal showed just recently what they’re capable of when they’re out for payback. After losing late at Villa Park, they came home and thrashed Aston Villa 4-1, one of their best performances of the season. You can bet Arteta’s using the sting from Anfield—and all the chatter that followed—as fuel tonight.
At one point, Arsenal’s six-point lead at the top was their biggest ever after 20 Premier League games. Now’s the moment to make it eight, put Liverpool away, and show everyone they mean business in this title race.
WHAT IS THE "AURA" MIKEL ARTETA SEES IN BUKAYO SAKA’S RECENT PERFORMANCES?
"He shifts momentum." Read Mikel Arteta’s full analysis of Bukayo Saka’s importance ahead of the crucial West Ham showdown.
Mikel Arteta sees something special in Bukayo Saka’s presence on the pitch, an “aura” that he believes could drive Arsenal toward a Premier League title, just three games away from ending a 22-year wait.
During Saka’s recent absence with an Achilles injury, Arsenal managed only a single win in five matches. His return, however, seemed to breathe new life into the squad. Saka set up Viktor Gyokeres for the opener before scoring himself in a solid 3-0 victory over Fulham last weekend.
More crucially, Saka netted the decisive goal that helped Arsenal secure a 2-1 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid, booking their first Champions League final appearance since 2006.
Since making his debut for the Gunners seven years ago, the England international now carries the hopes of pushing Arsenal for vital points, starting with a key clash against relegation-threatened West Ham at the London Stadium, followed by matches against Burnley at home and Crystal Palace away on the season’s final day.
When asked about Saka’s importance, Arteta highlighted the growing role he plays not just within the team but also in how opponents see him. There’s a clear presence, a certain quality that sets him apart. According to Arteta, Saka can shift a game’s momentum at any time, and instilling that kind of respect or even fear in the opposition is invaluable.
Arteta also touched on managing Saka’s comeback after injury, emphasising the idea of channelling fresh energy and motivation into his performance rather than rushing him back too soon. He described it as a privilege to have a player like Saka, someone who embodies core values and principles, both on and off the pitch. Beyond the football, there’s a human connection that makes working with him rewarding. What Saka showed, especially in the recent Champions League semifinal, was nothing short of remarkable.
Alongside Saka, Declan Rice has also become a pivotal figure since his £100 million move from West Ham last year. Now 27, Rice will make his 59th appearance of the season when Arsenal faces his former club on Sunday. His impact has been significant, earning him runner-up in the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award behind Bruno Fernandes.
Arteta praised Rice as a key leader and a major force for the team, underlining the powerful role he plays as Arsenal chase success this season.
WHY DID JURRIEN TIMBER’S "SIMPLE" INJURY TURN INTO A SEASON-ENDING MEDICAL MYSTERY?
After reaching the Champions League final, Arsenal face a fitness race for key stars ahead of their clash with West Ham.
Mikel Arteta has admitted that both Mikel Merino and Jurrien Timber are running out of time to get fit before the season ends – a tough setback for Arsenal right now.
Both have been out for weeks, dealing with foot and ankle injuries. The hope was always that they’d be back for the final stretch, giving Arsenal a boost when it matters most. This week, Merino at least made it back onto the training pitch, but Arteta has confirmed neither he nor Timber will be involved in Sunday’s big match against West Ham.
Arteta said he has no new injury problems elsewhere, but for Merino or Timber to play before the end of the season, their recoveries would have to be almost perfect. Timber’s situation in particular has turned out to be more complicated than they first thought.
“That’s probably been the hardest part for everyone. For me, for the player,” Arteta said. “We really didn’t think it would take this long, and he’s still not ready.”
Meanwhile, things are going well for Arsenal on the pitch. They’ve pulled five points clear at the top of the Premier League, and they just beat Atletico Madrid, booking a spot in their first Champions League final in two decades.
There’s still a twist, though. Manchester City play Brentford first this weekend, and they still have a game in hand. Even so, if Arsenal win their last three matches, the title is theirs.
Next up is West Ham, who are fighting to avoid relegation and could easily trip Arsenal up. Arteta knows his team can’t afford any slip-ups. “After the Atletico win, I was completely caught up in the emotion. You could feel what it meant to everyone fans and the staff. But straight after, my focus went to West Ham,” he said.
“We talked as a team about how we’ve earned the chance to be in the final, and we have time to get ready, but right now, all our focus and all the details need to go into West Ham.”
