Mikel Arteta has challenged his depleted Arsenal squad to “show their teeth” and “how much they want it” ahead of Liverpool’s crunch visit to the Emirates on Sunday.
The Gunners face being without a host of top stars for a fixture which could prove pivotal in the club’s bid to win their first Premier League title in two decades.
Captain Martin Odegaard and defender William Saliba will definitely miss Sunday’s clash through injury and suspension respectively, while Bukayo Saka, Jurrien Timber and Riccardo Calafiori are also injury doubts.
There is hope that Saka, absent for the last two matches with a hamstring problem he sustained playing for England, could be available.
But addressing his selection woes, Arteta said: “I love watching individuals and teams react to that. It is a down look? I hate it. I haven’t seen it in the staff, I haven’t seen it upstairs, I haven’t seen anyone talk about it.
“Get on with it. Show your teeth. Show how much you want it. This means opportunities for other people, and opportunities for us as a team to rebel against certain situations.
“When you lose your captain, that’s a big thing. When you lose your central defender, a full-back, and another full-back, a striker, and a winger, the team has to have the resources.
“First of all mentally to adapt to that and then maintain the same belief that even like this we’re a great team.”
Arsenal‘s surprise 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth last weekend – their first loss of the season so far – sees them trail Liverpool by four points.
But the Gunners will be able to draw positives from their last clash at the Emirates – a 3-1 win in February. Arsenal also secured a 2-0 victory at Anfield in the FA Cup, and a 1-1 league draw away from home against the Reds last term.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot has enjoyed an impressive start to his tenure since he replaced Jurgen Klopp.
Following their 1-0 win against RB Leipzig on Wednesday, they became the first Liverpool side to win their opening six away games of a season and the first to triumph in 11 of their first 12 matches.
Is Arteta surprised by the speed at which Slot has hit the ground running?
“No, because of the team, the infrastructure they have, and the individuals that they have,” he replied.
“Arne’s a really good manager. He’s inherited a team that is successful and given it his touch to maintain and evolve in the direction he believes is the right way to do it.
“For me, they are one of the best teams in the last decade and certainly the history of this Premier League, because they competed against a team (Manchester City) that was creating record after record and they were consistently there.
“That shows a lot of relentless and winning mentality to consistently believe, even if some people feel you could not reach it.
“That’s a big credit to them and they have done the work with a clear identity, so that’s something remarkable in my opinion.”
