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How Arsenal can finally end long Anfield hoodoo with emphatic title statement

How Arsenal can finally end long Anfield hoodoo with emphatic title statement

Nowhere has proved as much of an unhappy hunting ground for Arsenal as Anfield.

In eight away games against Liverpool in the Premier League since Jurgen Klopp was appointed in 2015, the Gunners have lost by an aggregate score of 27-9.

Their last win there was 11 years ago, when Mikel Arteta was still playing, but now feels like the moment for Arsenal to end their Anfield hoodoo.

Arteta knows all about the challenges of playing there and during an interview with Marca four years ago he spoke about having a feeling of ‘pájara’, of being stuck.

“I think I explained that sometimes when you don’t feel at your best and you feel that they are on top of you, and you cannot get out of that washing machine,” Arteta said on Friday.

“You try to overcome those situations but that’s learning - it happened once and it didn’t happen again.”

Arteta will hope his players have learned from their chastening experiences at Anfield and they certainly seem a different team this season.

Arsenal have not won a Premier League game at Anfield since Mikel Arteta was still playing for the club (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Arsenal have not won a Premier League game at Anfield since Mikel Arteta was still playing for the club (Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Arsenal’s playing style has evolved into one of control - or dominance, as Arteta likes to refer to it - and last week’s win over Brighton underlined that.

The Seagulls managed just one shot on target and failed to score for the first time in 32 League games.

Anfield, however, will be a true test of how far Arsenal have come as they aim to triumph in an atmosphere that Arteta described as being like “a jungle” last season.

Klopp has tried to stoke the fires ahead of Saturday’s game, calling on Anfield to bring the noise after complaining that the atmosphere was flat against Manchester United last week.

It is a compliment that the German is doing that and an indication of how he views Arsenal as genuine title contenders.

The Gunners are currently top of the League, but they only lead Liverpool by one point and the Reds would leapfrog them with a win this weekend.

“It (Anfield) is different, different like Old Trafford,” said Arteta. “Old Trafford has a beautiful atmosphere as well and something that historically is an unbelievable place to go.

“There are a few in this country. The Emirates is one of them as well. A lot of people talk about coming to the Emirates — I don't think they enjoy it so much. That is the beauty of it.

“You have to go to these stadiums and you have to prove as a team what you are capable of doing in that context.”

Winning at Anfield would be a statement of intent from Arsenal in the title race, and Arteta has the tools to do it.

"Anfield will be a true test of how far Arsenal have come as they aim to triumph in an atmosphere that Arteta described as being like 'a jungle'”

Along with Liverpool, they have the best defence in the League this season and the centre-back pairing of Gabriel and William Saliba have been key to that.

“When you talk about partnerships, those two positions are key,” said Arteta. “There is a chemistry and an understanding.

“They complement each other in a great way and everyone has a clear role which is accepted.

“They are getting better and better, but they are still super young for the position they play and can still get better.”

Gabriel and Saliba will have their work cut out against Liverpool, who put five past West Ham on Wednesday night in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

But ahead of them they have Declan Rice, who has impressed so much in midfield for Arsenal that the £105million they paid West Ham for him in the summer is no longer mentioned.

Rice has had a knack of delivering in big games so far, scoring against Chelsea and Manchester United, and performing at Anfield would see his stock rise even more.

“We still haven’t won enough important things,” said Arteta, who this week celebrated his four-year anniversary in charge at Arsenal. “We want to be better and more successful.”

Winning at Anfield would be a big step in the right direction.