- Gunners top of the table by eight points
- Still have nine games left to take in
- Face a tough test on Merseyside
WHAT HAPPENED? The Gunners have opened up an eight-point lead at the top of the Premier League table, but still have nine games left to take in and know that defending champions Manchester City will not be surrendering their crown without a fight. A big test awaits Mikel Arteta’s side on Merseyside this weekend, with Jamie Carragher informing the north London outfit that they will need to show nerves of steel in order to avoid suffering what could be a costly stumble.
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WHAT THEY SAID: The former Liverpool defender has told The Telegraph: “Anfield can be where title dreams go to die. Sir Alex Ferguson and my Sky colleague Gary Neville freely admit that they saw Anfield visits as the truest test of their capacity to win the championship. Manchester United famously lost the league on Merseyside when trying to end their long wait for the title in 1992, but made amends over the next two decades. A 3-1 United win in April, 1997, when both clubs were still in title contention, stands out. Jose Mourinho’s 1-0 success at Anfield in 2005 en route to his first Chelsea title prompted him to acclaim a win ‘champions need to have in crucial moments’.
“For others, Anfield was the moment dreams died. Newcastle United’s players believe the famous 4-3 defeat in 1996 was the evening they lost the Premier League. There is no doubt there will be a Klopp reaction before next season, and Arsenal’s current dominance over Liverpool, Manchester United and Chelsea will be challenged. That makes it more important for Arsenal to kick Liverpool while they are down and deliver a performance worthy of champions.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Arsenal will need no reminding that their recent record at Anfield does not make for happy reading, with the clock having to be turned back over 10 years to September 2012 to find their last victory on the red half of Merseyside – with a 12-game winless run taken in across all competitions.
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GettyWHAT NEXT? Arsenal did edge out Liverpool 3-2 in their previous meeting this season, at the Emirates back in October, and are enjoying a run of seven successive victories in the Premier League that has allowed them to remain on course for a first title triumph since the fabled ‘Invincibles’ of 2003-04.