Mikel Arteta has called on his players to “show their teeth” ahead of the visit of Premier League leaders Liverpool to the Emirates on Sunday.
The Gunners’ boss will be hoping to bounce back from suffering their first defeat of the season last weekend as they went down 2-0 to Bournemouth.
Defender William Saliba was sent off mid-way through the first half on the south coast as Arsenal had to play a significant portion of the game with ten men for the third time already this campaign.
Saliba’s suspension compounds Arteta’s selection woes, with captain Martin Odegaard still sidelined with injury, while Jurrien Timber, Riccardo Calafiori and Bukayo Saka, who returned to training this week, could also be doubts for Sunday’s clash.
Forwards together ✊
📍 Sobha Realty Training Centre pic.twitter.com/IdRUonzmm5
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) October 25, 2024
The Gunners did pick up their second win of the new-format Champions League in midweek with a 1-0 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk.
But this weekend’s meeting with Liverpool will present Arsenal with another stern test as Arne Slot’s team look to continue their strong start to the season.
Following their 1-0 win against RB Leipzig on Wednesday, Slot’s side became the first Liverpool team to win their opening six away games of a season and the first to triumph in 11 of their first 12 matches.
Addressing the selection headaches, Arteta said: “I love watching individuals and teams react to that. It is a down look? I hate it. I haven’t seen it in the staff, I haven’t seen it upstairs, I haven’t seen anyone talk about it.
“Get on with it. Show your teeth. Show how much you want it. This means opportunities for other people, and opportunities for us as a team to rebel against certain situations.
“When you lose your captain, that’s a big thing. When you lose your central defender, a full-back, and another full-back, a striker, and a winger, the team has to have the resources.
“First of all mentally to adapt to that and then maintain the same belief that even like this we’re a great team.”
