The Gunners have not won a league game at Anfield in over a decade
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta said he wants to break the Anfield curse, with a win over Liverpool on Sunday keeping the Gunners on track to win the Premier League title.
Arteta’s team leads Manchester City by eight points at the top of the table heading into the weekend, with Pep Guardiola’s team hosting bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Saturday.
Arsenal face a significant challenge at Anfield, where they have not won a league game since Arteta’s 2-0 victory in 2012.
Liverpool has won the last six league meetings between the teams at home by a combined score of 22-4 under Jurgen Klopp. However, Liverpool are currently eighth in the table, 29 points behind Arsenal.
“We have to have fun with it,” Arteta said on Friday. “We must seize the moment and run with it.
“The team is buzzing with excitement and optimism, and we know we face a big challenge but also a big opportunity to go to Anfield and do something we haven’t done in many years. That is what has been motivating the team in recent days.
“We know what needs to be done. We’ve played in some of the most difficult environments.”
Arsenal have struggled to score at Anfield in recent visits, and Arteta said he was glad to have January signing Leandro Trossard in the squad, after the Belgian scored a hat-trick for Brighton and Hove Albion at Anfield earlier this season.
“It’s great to have a player who has had a really nice and positive experience at that stadium. That day, he was an important player, and it was a beautiful game to watch “Arteta stated.
“That’s what we need: players who believe in themselves and their ability to win on the field.”
Bukayo Saka is back in contention to start, and one of his injured players could return, according to Arteta. The player’s name was not revealed by the Spanish manager, but defender William Saliba is expected to return after missing two games.
Predictions for the Premier League
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists he is staying calm as his team’s inconsistent form keeps a top-four finish out of reach.
The Reds manager stated that the wholesale changes made against Chelsea in midweek were not intended to send a message to underperforming players following an abysmal second-half performance at Manchester City in which they lost 4-1.
Klopp rested more than half of his team for Tuesday’s goalless draw at Stamford Bridge, including Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold, but while the City performance influenced his thinking, it was not intended to elicit a reaction.
“We’ve had one proper session since then, and the boys haven’t shown me that they don’t want it or anything,” he said.
“(It isn’t) ‘Why have you left me out?'” This is not the situation we find ourselves in.”
When asked how much of his team selection was influenced by the City game and how much by the three games in a week, Klopp said, “We had a game against City, which is an influence both physically and mentally.”
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