Mikel Arteta has confirmed his Arsenal side for this afternoon’s game at Anfield as the Gunners look to try and claw back some points on Liverpool.
The Premier League title is of course already long gone for the visitors, with Arne Slot’s side having already wrapped that up two weeks ago. It hasn’t been a good week for Arsenal either, with its hopes of any silverware well and truly ending after defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
That pressure has perhaps told on Arteta, with the Spaniard’s comments on Liverpool’s title triumph this week seeing him being ridiculed from all corners of the soccer world. With three games remaining, all that’s left for the Arsenal boss is to try and narrow the huge gap to the Reds at the top of the table.
Liverpool sits 15 points clear ahead of kick-off today, with the Reds still looking to break the 90 point barrier as they currently sit on 82 points.
Arsenal will be aiming to spoil the party somewhat at Anfield, with Arteta naming the side that he hopes will be able to do that.
The big news is that Declan Rice is missing, with Arsenal confirming that the midfielder is out injured. In his place comes Leandro Trossard, with Mikel Merino moving into midfield, while Ben White replaces Jurrien Timber at right-back.
Arsenal confirmed team vs Liverpool: Raya, White, Saliba, Kiwior, Lewis-Skelly, Partey, Merino, Odegaard, Saka, Martinelli, Trossard.
Subs: Neto, Tierney, Timber, Zinchenko, Calafiori, Butler-Oyedeji, Henry-Francis, Nwaneri, Sterling.
(Image: THOMAS SAMSON/AFP via Getty Images)
The Gunners will be following Chelsea’s lead last week by giving Liverpool a guard of honor at Anfield today. Arteta’s side had to do the same five years ago in North London, despite the rules not actually forcing them to do so.
“They deserve that,” Arteta said in his pre-match press conference. “They have been the better team, the most consistent. They fully deserve it and that’s sport. When somebody is better, you have to applaud.”
Learn more
Reflecting on his side’s failure to catch Liverpool this season, Arteta said last week: “I understand that it’s a team that’s being more consistent, and it has a lot of ingredients that you need to win it. But it’s very painful, yeah.
“I take the opportunity as well to congratulate Liverpool and what they’ve done, the management they’ve done, how consistent they’ve been. I think they fully deserve to win.
“They were the better team, they had so many attributes, they had a consistent squad available. And we’re going to try again. But up to that moment next season, now we’re going to have to finish the season very strong.”
