Arteta challenges Arsenal to end winless run at Anfield

AFP
London
Mikel Arteta has challenged Arsenal to win in the Premier League at Anfield for the first time in 11 years, saying they can learn from last year’s bitter disappointment of throwing away a 2-0 lead.
The Gunners head to Liverpool today knowing victory would leave them top of the table at Christmas. But the visitors would have to end a run of league results stretching back to September 2012 if they are to achieve that - winning 2-0 when Arteta was in the Arsenal midfield.
The Spaniard toasted four years as Arsenal manager this week and during that time he has overseen wins at Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham, while this season they beat Manchester City at the Emirates.
“We have done it at Old Trafford, we have done it at Stamford Bridge and many other places where we haven’t done it for years,” he said on Friday.
“This is the next challenge - go there and win. If you want to be at the top you have to go to those places and be dominant. That’s what we’re going to try to do.”
Arsenal took a 2-0 lead at Anfield last year before they were pinned back and had to settle for a draw.
It was the start of a damaging spell of four games without a win that cost the Gunners vital points in their chase for a first Premier League title since 2004 and they were eventually overhauled by Manchester City.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere,” said Arteta.
“The two teams are in a really good moment, really good position, really strong position. They are going to be well placed to win it and to go for it. It’s going to be an intense match. “You have to play better than them. You will silence the crowd if you are dominant and better than them.”
Arteta admitted there were aspects of last year’s game that could be improved upon.
“The way we allowed them to run especially, that we need to correct and be much better because when they have that momentum and space they are a really dangerous team.
“But we had some big, big situations when we could have killed the game and we didn’t - when you have the opportunity to do that, you have to do it.
“They have experienced that for many years now. For this group of players now this is the third, fourth time that they have been there (Anfield).
“A few years ago, it was the first time for most of them and maybe you have to clarify and explain certain things. I don’t think that is necessary now.”

Liverpool wary of Arsenal ‘title-marker’ talk
Liverpool head into top-of-the-table clash against Arsenal with manager Jurgen Klopp trying to ease the pressure on his side by downplaying the game’s importance in terms of the title race.
The Gunners will arrive at Anfield a point ahead of second-placed Liverpool, with a win for the home side meaning the Merseysiders will be at the summit of the standings at Christmas.
But having seen Liverpool draw away to then leaders Manchester City last month only for the reigning champions to then slip to fourth after winning just one out of four matches, Klopp said now was not the time for worrying about dreams of Premier League glory
“I love it the most when you are first and 55 points ahead because then it’s pure joy. (But) the position we are in is not that bad,” he told reporters on Friday.
“Matchday 18? It means after that we play 20 more games so if we win it we are not through, they win it they are not through even when that is the headlines they will have to deal with.
“Actually, I didn’t really think about it, I am just interested in this game tomorrow and not what it means for the rest of the season.”
The German added: “There might be a moment March or April maybe when you think ‘OK, six-pointer, you win today and you have them out of the way or whatever’, but that is obviously far off and nobody thinks about these kind of things.
“It is just a super-important football game.”
Klopp has been particularly impressed by the way Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has bolstered his squad.
“I thought they looked like that (title challengers) last year to be honest and then some results kicked in,” he said.
“The team we faced (last season) was a super-strong team and then you bring in (Declan) Rice and (Kai) Havertz and it doesn’t make you worse. (David) Raya in goal doesn’t make you worse.
“Mikel could build exactly the team he wants; they are difficult to play, they are a good mix between physicality - big, strong, fast players - good technique, very good organisation, really well coached, well drilled and you see every year they make another step.
“They really have my respect, but we want the points anyway.”