Arsenal have a chance to regain their advantage at the top of the Premier League when they take on Liverpool – after one of the Reds’ stars has rejected his place in the champions’ selection
Arsenal have had to deal with accusations of bottling over the past few years, but if they don’t get over the line from here, they will face heat the likes of which they have never experienced before.
The festive period couldn’t have been more wonderful. They dealt a blow to newcomers Aston Villa in the title race and have watched Manchester City drop six points in the past week after drawing three games in a row.
That means a win against Liverpool on Thursday night would increase their lead at the top of the table to eight points. None of Arsenal’s teams in the Premier League, not even the Invincibles, have been so clear-cut at this stage of the season.
But Dominik Szoboszlai, one of only two players to score the winning goal against the Gunners this term, believes the North Londoners will not be crowned champions.
The Hungarian midfielder said: “It’s a long road. The Premier League is not easy. We have to win before January. So I don’t think we are playing against the champions. They are playing against the champions. They probably know that and we know that too.”
read more: Tottenham supporters won’t forgive Thomas Frank for being caught up in Arsenal’s blunderread more: Dominik Szoboszlai reality check on Arsenal ahead of game against Liverpool: ‘It’s crazy’
Well, if that doesn’t start a fire, it probably won’t start much of a fire. Arsenal were accused of becoming a passive team when they lost at Anfield earlier in the season. They won the match by a narrow margin, but lacked the relentless edge to overwhelm their rivals.
Since then, the tide has turned. The Reds fell off a cliff and Arsenal became a winning machine. Mikel Arteta’s side have won 13 of their 17 league games since defeat at Anfield in August. Apart from Liverpool, Villa are the only other team to beat the Gunners.
So, contrary to what Szoboszlai thinks, all signs point to Arsenal being champions in waiting. Very few teams can attack from such a position. Arsenal fans who remember their time at Highbury will remember losing a five-point lead in March when they were defeated in 2003, so they may not feel as confident as the numbers suggest.
This current group will carry an emotional baggage from their recent ousting by City. Pep Guardiola’s side twice launched late attacks that ultimately defeated the north London side. There was talk that it might happen again, but they closed the gap to two points.
But draws with Sunderland, Chelsea and now Brighton mean Arsenal are firmly in control and looking over their shoulders at a team that looks unlikely to win 10 games in a row. Perhaps Guardiola himself knows this deep down.
With just under half of the season left, City manager admits missing out on six points means they can’t dream of winning the title. “Of course, you can’t think about that unless you win the game,” he said.
And then to Arsenal. They’re putting their foot down their rival’s throat and it feels as if they’ve spent the best part of four years building up to this moment. If they don’t seize the opportunity, the narrative around them will still exist.
They are facing a Liverpool side who have recovered from an incredible dip in form and look dangerous once again. They are undefeated in eight games and still have the weapons to prove themselves to be the league leaders.
Thursday 8th January could be the night Arsenal won eight games and perhaps never looked back. Or it could be a game that showed City can still win this title against a team that can’t shake that nagging feeling.
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