Mikel Arteta says Arsenal will be ready to strike if Liverpool slip up in the Premier League title race.
Liverpool currently sit nine points clear ahead of Arsenal after Saturday’s 5-0 win over West Ham and have a game in hand over their rivals, with the Gunners hoping to cut the gap to six by beating Brentford on New Year’s Day.
Though Arne Slot’s side hold the advantage, the North Londoners are currently 11 games unbeaten, winning eight of those encounters.
Asked how hard it will be to catch Liverpool, Arteta said: “I don’t know, and that doesn’t depend on us.
“We have to continue to be like a hammer, be there every day, every day, every day. And, I mean, if somebody wins all the matches, congratulate him and let’s go to the next season.
“But if they don’t, which in history hasn’t happened, we’ll be there.”
Arsenal have fallen agonisingly short in their pursuit of a Premier League title in each of the last two seasons, with Manchester City edging them on both occasions.
But despite that, Arteta insists his side have the credentials to go one better this term.
The Spaniard added: “Well, we’re going to have to prove it. What we’ve proven already this season, and I’m sure of that, if that would have happened last season, by playing the amount of games that we played with 10 men, all the injuries that we had in the squad, for sure we were in the position that we are today in the competitions. So the team has made another step.
“The team is evolving and is adapting to new circumstances. And now we have another one, which is more games with less players. So let’s face it.”
