Mikel Arteta sends title race message to Liverpool as Arsenal seek to 'hammer' leaders
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Mikel Arteta wants his Arsenal players to be like a “hammer” - and get ready to smash Liverpool in the title race. Arteta sounded the warning ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Brentford on New Year’s Day knowing a win will keep the pressure on. The Gunners are nine points behind the Reds after 18 games.
Arne Slot’s men have been remarkably consistent but Arteta says Arsenal must be ready to pounce if their title rivals slip up. Liverpool have tasted defeat just once this term when they faced second-placed Nottingham Forest, who the north London side can surpass with three points against the Bees.
Gunners boss Arteta also played some mind games as he insisted no team in history has ever won every single game and therefore Liverpool will drop points. Arteta said: “We have to continue to be like a hammer, be there every day, every day, and if someone wins all the matches then congratulate them and then go to the next season. But if they don’t - which in history it hasn’t happened - then we will be there.
“It doesn’t depend on us. But we will have full focus on Brentford because our minds have to be on what we have to do. We have to recover because not just now but also in the next few weeks, we have so many games, so many competitions and we need to be right up there.”.
Liverpool's form has seen them established as firm title-favourites. However, topping the division on Christmas Day is by no means a gurantee of glory in May. In 31 seasons of the Premier League the team leading the way at that point has gone on to win the league on 16 occasions. As Arteta highlighted, Slot and co still have work to do.
