Today could be the day that Liverpool secures the Premier League title, and Arsenal will be unable to do anything other than watch on.
The Reds need just a single point against Tottenham at Anfield today in order to be officially crowned this season’s champion. Arne Slot’s side will be expected to do the business against a Spurs side enduring a poor campaign, with Ange Postecoglou’s priorities lying elsewhere ahead of a Europa League semi-final later on Thursday.
Anfield is therefore set for a momentous day, and fans will no doubt be celebrating across Merseyside should Liverpool wrap things up later. As for the Reds’ closest rivals, there is simply nothing they can do now.
The best Arsenal can manage from here is to finish level on points with Liverpool, and hope that the title comes down to goal difference. If it does come down to that extremely unlikely scenario, then there’s nothing the Gunners can do to help themselves this weekend.
Mikel Arteta’s team is one of a handful of sides not in action this weekend, despite not being involved in the FA Cup semi-finals either. Arsenal was due to face Crystal Palace this weekend, but with Oliver Glasner’s side booking its place in next month’s final after beating Aston Villa at Wembley on Saturday, that game had to be moved forward.
The Gunners instead hosted the Eagles on Wednesday, with Jean-Philippe Mateta’s late goal earning the visitors a 2-2 draw, and making Liverpool’s task today all the easier.
(Image: Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)
With no game for Arsenal this weekend, the Gunners can only watch on as the Reds look to wrap up their title at Anfield. They probably won’t be too thrilled about their North London rivals being the team tasked with trying to delay Liverpool’s celebrations either.
What’s more, should Slot’s side finish the job off today, Arsenal will face more humiliation next month when it visits Anfield itself. Arteta takes his side to Merseyside on May 11, and – assuming Liverpool has been confirmed as the champion by then – the visitors will be forced to give the Reds a guard of honor.
Arsenal’s focus will likely shift to the Champions League for the remainder of the season as it looks to navigate past Paris Saint-Germain to book a place in the final. Arteta’s hunt for the Premier League title looks set to continue into next season though, with the Gunners boss bemoaning the amount of games his side has drawn this season
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“We haven’t been able to see the games off for many reasons, and the margins have been too small,” Arteta said after the draw with Palace. “Sometimes that, sometimes credit to the opposition, it’s true that we played five times with 10 men.
“There are a lot of factors, but obviously it’s something that we’ve done much better in the past, especially when we’ve been ahead in games. Today, without really much happening, especially in the second half, we have to be able to see the game off.
“I mean, you have to win a certain amount of games and then a certain amount of points. We have only lost three games, two of them with 10 men, so we have to win many more.”
