In an enthralling Premier League showdown, Arsenal, under the leadership of Mikel Arteta, secured a 1-1 draw against Liverpool.

The result cements Arsenal’s position at the summit of the Premier League during the festive period, marking a significant milestone for the second consecutive year.

Mikel Arteta has lauded his team for their remarkable courage and belief following their intense Premier League match against Liverpool, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

The result means Arsenal will be at the top of the table during the Christmas period for the second consecutive year.

The match, described by Arteta as “one of the most intense games I’ve witnessed in 20 years,” saw Arsenal‘s Gabriel Magalhães score an early goal, with Liverpool‘s Mohamed Salah later equalising.

“It was an unbelievable game of football, one of the most intense and hectic games I’ve witnessed in this league in 20 years,” Arteta said.

Arteta emphasised the exceptional quality and intent demonstrated by both teams, praising his players for their level of play. He added, “The quality and the intention of both teams was superb to watch.

“To witness our boys play at that level, to have the courage and belief to play at that level, I think they deserve big, big credit.”

Reflecting on the previous season, where Arsenal were overtaken by Manchester City in the title race, Arteta expressed confidence in the lessons learned by his team. He believes that the current squad has shown significant maturity and consistency, vital for competing in the Premier League and the Champions League.

“We have the experience of being where we are today,” he said. “We should be really happy because that shows a lot consistency among this new group to do it in the biggest league in the world. But that’s it.

“We are where we want to be right now – both in the Premier League and the Champions League. We all deserve a beautiful dinner with our families tomorrow but then we are back on it because West Ham is going to be very tough again.”

However, Arteta acknowledged the need for improvement, particularly in terms of decisively concluding games. He pointed out that despite Arsenal‘s dominance in several matches, the results have often been too close for comfort, necessitating the team to exert extra effort to maintain their leads.

“Of course there are certain things we have to improve, especially killing games,” he said. “With the amount of dominance we’re showing, sometimes the results have been too close and we’ve had to dig in to maintain results. But that’s it, nothing else.”

Liverpool defender Kostas Tsimikas sustained a serious injury, breaking his collarbone. This occurred when he collided near the technical area with Arsenal‘s Bukayo Saka. Jürgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager, was happy to imply Saka was to blame. He remarked, “I cannot say anything about that [the challenge from Saka]. You have to judge that, not me.”