Arteta Motivates Arsenal to Break Anfield Drought Ahead of Sunday Clash
Mikel Arteta has urged Arsenal to end their 14-year winless streak in the Premier League at Liverpool as they prepare for their match at Anfield on Sunday.
The last time Arsenal secured a league victory at this venue was over a decade ago, but Arteta is focused on the present and the challenge ahead. He stated, “It’s a big game on Sunday, we’re looking forward to it for sure,” and emphasized, “It’s 14 years that we haven’t won there, so it’s time to do it.”
Arteta acknowledged the strength of their opponents, noting, “I think all the top clubs are certainly title challengers, and it’s so early in the season, when you look at the squad, the manager that they have and the history for sure.”
In preparations for the game, Declan Rice, Riccardo Calafiori, and Christos Tzolis participated in training on Friday and could be available for selection if they complete Saturday’s session without issue. Meanwhile, Noni Madueke still faces uncertainty, needing to pass a full training session for Arteta to assess his inclusion.
When addressing how to contain Alexander Isak, Arteta remarked, “By keeping him as far from the goal as possible.” He added that the threat is not just from Isak, but from the overall connections within Liverpool’s attack, especially when they exploit space.
Sunday’s match will also see Arteta facing Andoni Iraola, a former teammate from his childhood. Arteta referred to the encounter as a “privilege” and a “blessing”, reminiscing about the “beautiful moments” they experienced together in their youth.
Ultimately, the hope is that only Arteta will reminisce about ‘beautiful moments’ once the final whistle is blown.
