Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has challenged his players to end the club’s 14-year wait for a Premier League victory at Anfield when they face Liverpool on Sunday, November 1.
The Gunners travel to Merseyside for one of their biggest tests of the season, with Arteta determined to overcome a difficult historical record against Liverpool on their home ground.
Arsenal’s last Premier League victory at Anfield came in September 2012, when Arsène Wenger’s side secured a 2-0 win through goals from Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla.
Since that memorable result, the north London club have visited Anfield 13 times in the league without recording another victory, drawing five matches and losing eight.
However, Arteta believes his team have the quality and experience to finally break that unwanted run, insisting that previous disappointments should provide additional motivation rather than discourage his players.
Speaking ahead of Sunday’s encounter, the Spanish manager made his expectations clear, describing the fixture as an opportunity for Arsenal to change their history at the stadium.
“It’s 14 years that we haven’t won there, so it’s time to do it,” Arteta said.
He added that Arsenal had previously come close to securing victories at Anfield but had repeatedly fallen short of completing the job.
“It’s an opportunity. I came here and in many places we were 20, 22 years, 18 years without winning, and we’ve been doing all these things, so on Sunday, that’s the opportunity that we have,” he added.
Arteta also emphasised the importance of approaching the encounter with confidence, determination and a clear attacking purpose.
“Well, going there with full conviction, that’s number one, and we’ve been very, very close in the last few years to win. But something is missing, and that’s what we’ve been discussing the last few days. To go there with a real purpose. To hurt them and get away from there with a victory,” he explained.
The Arsenal manager expects a demanding tactical contest against Liverpool, particularly because of the similarities in the pressing approaches employed by both teams.
Arteta acknowledged that both sides prefer to apply pressure high up the pitch, leaving opponents with limited time and space to organise their attacks.
“We are both teams very aggressive in our high press, not giving any time to the opponent,” he said.
He further explained that finding ways to escape Liverpool’s pressing traps and progress into dangerous attacking positions would be important, although he stressed that several other factors would determine the outcome.
One of Arsenal’s major concerns will be containing Liverpool striker Alexander Isak, whose attacking quality and movement could pose significant problems for the visitors.
Arteta acknowledged the threat posed by the Swedish international and the attacking combinations Liverpool build around him.
He believes Arsenal must prevent Isak from receiving possession in dangerous areas while limiting the space available to Liverpool’s forward players.
“By keeping him as far from the goal as possible. We always try, it’s not only him, it’s all the connections that they have, especially when they have space to run. We know how dangerous they are in that kind of moment, and the quality of the striker that we are talking about. That’s the opposition in the Premier League,” Arteta said.
Arsenal head into the encounter sitting second in the Premier League standings with 21 points from eight matches, level on points with leaders Manchester City.
However, their preparations suffered a setback following their shock elimination from the Carabao Cup against fourth-tier Fleetwood Town during the week.
The Gunners were held to a 1-1 draw before losing 5-3 on penalties, raising questions about their attacking efficiency ahead of the difficult trip to Anfield.
Liverpool, meanwhile, enter the contest with renewed confidence after recording five consecutive victories across all competitions.
Manager Andoni Iraola’s side will be hoping to use their home advantage to reduce the gap to Arsenal and strengthen their position in the title race.
The fixture also presents a significant opportunity for Arsenal to demonstrate their championship credentials against one of their biggest domestic rivals.
With both teams possessing considerable attacking quality and an aggressive approach to pressing, Sunday’s encounter promises to be a demanding test for Arteta’s players.
For the Arsenal manager, however, the objective is straightforward: end the Anfield drought, secure three important points and demonstrate that his team are capable of overcoming the historical obstacles standing in their way.
