After a run of five straight wins, belief is growing that Arsenal can finish fourth this season. Beat Liverpool tonight and confidence will soar that they will be back in the Champions League for the first time since 2016-17.
Mikel Arteta believes his exciting young side are playing their best football since he was appointed in December 2019.
That is timely, given Liverpool are in town. Jurgen Klopp’s side come into this game off the back of eight League wins on the bounce and looking to narrow the gap to Manchester City to just one point.
“We’re still going to play against arguably the best team or the second best team in the League,” said Arteta. “We’ll certainly have to play at our best to beat them.
“Every week is a test in the Premier League and a very different one, and the challenges that you face in those games are completely different. But tonight certainly is a team that dominates every aspect of the game.”
Liverpool will be a true test of how far Arsenal have come. The Gunners travelled to Anfield in November in good form before Liverpool stopped them in their tracks by dismantling them 4-0.
The clubs met over two legs in January in the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup. After holding Liverpool to a 0-0 draw with 10 men at Anfield, Arsenal lost 2-0 at home.
They are in a different place now, not least because Arteta has a full squad available to him other than Takehiro Tomiyasu.
More crucial is the rapid development of players since the squad returned from Dubai at the start of February. Thomas Partey finally looks like the midfield general Arsenal thought they had signed, Martin Odegaard is living up to his teenage hype and Bukayo Saka is continuing his hugely impressive rise week by week.
The list goes on. Gabriel Martinelli is thriving out left following the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The heart of the defence looks steady, goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale is pushing to be England’s No1 and centre-backs Gabriel and Ben White are striking up a solid partnership at the back.
Asked if this is the best Arsenal have played under him, Arteta said: “I think with the level of consistency throughout the game and throughout a run of games, I would say yes.
“[But] we have to make things quicker, sharper. We can be more adaptable, we can be much more unpredictable, we can have much more flexibility and we can be much more consistent throughout games.”
Arsenal are in the driving seat to qualify for the Champions League. They sit fourth, one point ahead of Manchester United in fifth and with three games in hand on the three teams directly below them.
Victory would cement their position as favourites to finish fourth, but it would signify much more. Such a result would fill Arsenal, and their fans, with the belief that finishing in the top four is no longer a dream but a reality.
“It would be another click and another boost in terms of confidence,” said Arteta. “Not just in terms of the position we find ourselves in but also beating Liverpool with the way they are playing is extremely difficult and we are aware of that.
“But we get to the game with the belief of doing what we can do. The game is there for the taking. Winning another game in this League always gives you momentum.”
