Premier League: Brentford v Arsenal, New Year’s Day, 5.30 – Live TNT Sports 1
Mikel Arteta has warned Liverpool that his Arsenal team are ready to hammer away at the points gap over the second half of the season if they wobble at the top of the Premier League table.
Liverpool have surged to the summit on the back of 14 wins from 18 games, with three draws, and they have a commanding nine-point advantage over Arsenal, who are broadly considered to be their likeliest challengers, with both sides having a game in hand on second-placed Nottingham Forest.
Arteta, who takes his team to Brentford for the division’s only New Year’s Day fixture, has urged his players to turn the focus inward and adopt a remorseless attitude. Arsenal drew 2-2 at home against Liverpool in October. The return at Anfield is scheduled for May 10th, the sides’ third-last match of the season.
“It doesn’t depend on us,” Arteta said. “But we have to continue to be like a hammer, be there every day, every day. If someone wins all the matches then we congratulate them and go to the next season. If they don’t ... then we will be there.”
Arsenal are third in the Champions League table, on course to qualify directly for the last 16 of the new-look competition, and in the Carabao Cup semi-finals, where they will face Newcastle. They have a home draw in the FA Cup third round against Manchester United. Arteta believes his team have grown compared to last season.
“We’ve proved that already this season, I’m sure of that,” he said. “If this had happened last season – the number of games we’ve played with 10 men [after red cards], the injuries in the squad, for sure it would be difficult to be in the stages of the competitions we are in now.
“So, for sure, the team has made another step. The team is evolving and adapting to new circumstances and now we have another one with more games with less players. So let’s face it.”
Arteta said his new year resolution was to “keep everybody fit – that’s it”. He added: “It is full focus on Brentford because our minds have to be on what we have to do. Brentford are very tough, a really good team. If you see their record at home until the Saturday before last [when they lost for the first time this season against Nottingham Forest], it’s remarkable.”
Defender Ben Mee has been added to Brentford’s substantial injury list following Friday’s 0-0 draw at Brighton, while goalkeeper Hakon Valdimarsson could make his full Premier League debut if Mark Flekken fails to overcome the issue which forced him off at the Amex Stadium.
Having taken 22 points from the first 24 available in front of their own fans before the loss to Forest, manager Thomas Frank struck a positive note ahead of the London derby.
“We are at home, we’ll put a competitive team out there, and we’ll do whatever we can to try and win the game,” added Frank.
