Arteta 'fully convinced' Arsenal can win at Anfield as big clash looms
Liverpool host Arsenal at Anfield this Sunday in what looks like one of the games of the season so far, and Mikel Arteta has been setting the tone with a confident message to his squad.
This Is Anfield reports that Arteta gave his players a rousing team talk, telling them "I'm fully convinced we will win" (This Is Anfield). Liverpool.com echoes this, noting that Arteta has never actually won at Anfield as Arsenal manager, but is backing his side to end that record and leave Merseyside with all three points this weekend (Liverpool.com). It's bold talk from the Arsenal boss, but Liverpool fans will hope it's all it amounts to - just talk.
On team news, there's a bit of confusion between the Echo and Liverpool.com over the scale of the injury situation. The Liverpool Echo reports that as many as 14 players could miss the game between the two sides, with manager Andoni Iraola's name oddly attached to an Arsenal-related headline (Liverpool Echo), while Liverpool.com puts the number at 13 missing players across both squads, with "both Liverpool and Arsenal" dealing with injury concerns ahead of the huge clash (Liverpool.com). Whichever figure proves accurate, it's clear both managers will have selection headaches to contend with before kick-off.
Elsewhere, Sky Sports focuses on Arsenal's own attacking struggles, reporting that Kai Havertz is in a "goal drought" and questioning whether Arteta should persist with him ahead of Viktor Gyokeres against Liverpool, pointing out that Arsenal's forwards have scored fewer times than their defenders this season (Sky Sports). That will be music to the ears of the Liverpool defence heading into this one.
Liverpool.com also argues that Liverpool holds "one major advantage" over Arsenal heading into the game, suggesting that Iraola - seemingly referenced here in a Liverpool context - has the chance to prove Arteta wrong, which would only add fuel to growing Premier League title chatter around Liverpool (Liverpool.com). The Liverpool Echo reinforces the sense of what's riding on this fixture, stating that Liverpool have the opportunity to close the gap on Arsenal in the table with a result at Anfield (Liverpool Echo).
All told, the build-up points to a huge afternoon at Anfield, with Arteta talking a confident game, question marks over Arsenal's firepower, and Liverpool sensing a chance to make a real statement in the title race if they can get the job done at home.
Written with the help of AI, using the headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.
