Arsenal’s title race heats up with a crucial match at Anfield; can they overcome the challenge and send a strong message to Guardiola?

Emirates Stadium comes alive as normal service resumes

Saturday afternoon at the Emirates and a resumption of Premier League duties saw a resumption of Premier League normal service as Arsenal walloped Leeds United 4-1.

Adapting to life without Bukayo Saka

In truth, despite a bright opening ten minutes from the visitors, the result never really felt in doubt although Arsenal struggled, in the first half anyway, to adapt to life without Bukayo Saka’s relentless surges up the right wing.

One of the bonuses about Silver member ticket availability this season is that, being in generally the same spot behind the Clock End goal, this time with James Craddock and my cousin James, you get used to certain things; the Ashburton Army, the drum, the sight of Saka flying towards you. The team weren’t the only ones to miss him on Saturday.

Arsenal take control with goals from Jesus and White

Regardless, once Luke Ayling had needlessly conceded the opening penalty, converted by Gabriel Jesus for his first goal in 14 games and then Ben White had crashed home a gorgeous Martinelli cross, we could relax a little bit.

Always a bonus when faced with the men from West Yorkshire (memories of 6 years living in Leeds die hard). Jesus would soon add his second, having fed Leandro Trossard who jinked and swerved in a manner I found to be most Cazorlaesque before returning the pass for the Brazilian to bury.

Xhaka caps the day with a goal

Granit Xhaka would cap the day converting the skipper’s inch perfect cross from the periphery of the penalty area.

I was a little incredulous as Craddock turned to me and asked, “Who crossed that?” I mean, who else could it have been? It was a great spot and an even better delivery from Martin Ødegaard.

Arsenal’s response to Manchester City’s challenge

So, having picked up the gauntlet thrown down by Manchester City’s demolition job of an abject Liverpool in the early kick off, the Arsenal boys had promptly thrown it back to Guardiola and co, restoring our eight point lead.

“We aren’t going anywhere” they seemed to be saying.

Building a legacy akin to George Graham’s era

And increasingly, I find myself looking at this Arsenal side and finding a certainty in them that would be impressive even if certain, key elements in it weren’t so young.

More than once in the past, I have mused on the great cultural reset and clearing out of the cliques that Mikel Arteta has carried out since returning to North London and its similarity to the work done by George Graham from 1986 onwards.

And as that team that George created became immortal at Anfield on the 26th May 1989, so the team that Mikel has built is racing towards its own date with destiny (and another team of unkillables) on the 26th May 1989, so the team that Mikel has built is racing towards its own date with destiny (and another team of unkillables) on the 26th April, albeit 35 miles east of Liverpool at the Etihad.

Anticipation and Silver membe rluck

If we are to lift the Premier League trophy on the 28th May, then I am delighted to say that me and Craddock will be there, being two of the lucky Silver members able to purchase tickets for the game last week.

But it’s almost impossible to talk about this seriously right now. Having gone to the game together on Saturday, it’s kind of weird to know that the next time I see James, we might have won it, we might have lost it, or it could still be on the line.

And all of those possibilities are mind boggling in their own way, so it’s probably best just to focus on the game in front of you and not think too far ahead – and certainly not to write anything about plot twists and probabilities and Manchester City’s chances of putting together a 14 game winning streak… Oh well.

The dust and math of Liverpool’s chances

And speaking of the game in front of us, we have a rather juicy trip to Liverpool on Sunday.

This is (understatement alert) one of the key fixtures left in Arsenal’s title challenge. I was feeling pretty bullish about it 24 hours ago.

If Arsenal win on Sunday, we will ensure that, mathematically speaking, Liverpool can’t catch us and that’s with nine games of their season left. I mention this only to highlight how far in the dust, our dust, Liverpool have been left this season.

So, I’m looking at this game and thinking we are the best team in the country and if Liverpool were coming to us and the roles were reversed, they’d be expecting to batter us, wouldn’t they?

However, I know that for all my “crazy white fella thinking”, I can’t just magically think the result I want into existence (God, do I know!). Balanced against the self evident fact that we have been excellent this season is the fact that we have to contend with a few factors, thus:

1. Weird Anfield voodoo – our matches up there are never just football matches, they seem to exist in their own psychological and emotional landscapes. Are we ready for this?
2. Liverpool, as rubbish as they’ve been this season, are actually pretty good at home.
3. The North West of England is kryptonite to Arsenal. Our two away defeats this season? Manchester United and Everton. And it’s not just this season we have to contend with, for some reason Arsenal haven’t won a game in Liverpool for about 5 years – and when you think how crap Everton have been in that time… I suspect even Tranmere Rovers would do us over at the moment (maybe).

Liverpool fans reacting to Arsenal’s success

Interestingly, our success so far this season seems to have riled up quite a few Liverpool fans – as if the thought of us winning the league somehow cheapens what was their own phenomenal achievement in 2020. Observe.

https://twitter.com/Gunnersc0m/status/1642841603311058945

I remember once writing a half serious, half tongue in cheek article for this website, entitled “Why I hate Liverpool Football Club”. I (half) regret that article now and some of the references made within it. I used to travel to Liverpool for work and it is a beautiful city, full of friendly people, but it is the sort of thing above which inspired my article in the first place. The levels of cognitive dissonance required to write of a team with 72 points from 29 games “In any normal season they’d be fourth”… I mean where do you even start with that? We got 69 points last year and finished 5th two points behind Spurs, so…

Anyway, it seems very obvious, they’re going to be very up for it. For my part, if this Arsenal side is half as good as I think it is, they will be ready for Anfield and they will win, sending yet another message to Guardiola:

We’re not going anywhere. Yet.