Mikel Arteta has urged his Arsenal side to "hammer away" if they are to successfully close down the nine-point advantage that the league leaders Liverpool hold over them in the 2024/25 Premier League title race.
Arsenal manager Arteta takes his side to Brentford for the only Premier League fixture on New Year's Day, knowing a win for his side would send them above Nottingham Forest into second spot and reduce the lead held by Arne Slot's side to six points.
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Liverpool
LIV
|
18 | +28 | 45 |
| 2 |
Arsenal
ARS
|
19 | +21 | 39 |
| 3 |
Nott'm Forest
NFO
|
19 | +7 | 37 |
| 4 |
Chelsea
CHE
|
19 | +15 | 35 |
While Liverpool have surged clear on the back of 14 wins from 18 matches, Arsenal are on an eight-match unbeaten run, winning their last away fixture - another London derby - 5-1 at Crystal Palace.
"It doesn’t depend on us," Arteta said in his pre-match press conference. "We have to continue to be like a hammer, be there every day, every day and if someone wins all the matches then congratulate them and then go to the next season. But if they don’t ... we will be there."
The trip to Brentford marks the start of a busy January for Arsenal that includes the north London derby against Tottenham Hotspur as well as an FA Cup third-round tie with Manchester United and an EFL Cup semi-final first leg against Newcastle United.
Arsenal's January fixtures in PL
Moaner Leo
To achieve the goal of catching Liverpool, Arteta believes the winning mindset of players such as Leandro Trossard is exactly what he is looking for from his squad, even if it does mean he has to listen to their moaning.
"Leo, naturally, is a little bit of a moaner but I like that because he’s very competitive!" added Arteta. "You have training sessions, always busy with the referee’s decision because he wants to win and that’s what I love. He always wants to be the best and when he’s not there, he’s not happy but that really pushes him.
"That’s why he comes on the pitch, he can make an impact because he’s got that drive and hunger of ‘I’m going to show you’, but I love that about him."
Possible early return for Sterling
While key attacker Bukayo Saka remains absent as he recovers from a procedure on his hamstring, Arteta could welcome back fellow winger Raheem Sterling from a knee injury sooner than expected.
"He was gutted because he had a good game against Palace [in the EFL Cup] here, he could have scored two goals and made an assist and in the end, he got injured in a training session," said Arteta.
"That was his opportunity because naturally, he would have played in that position. But knowing Raz, I think he will be back quite soon.
When asked if he had a New Year's resolution, Arteta's answer was as quick as it was direct: "Keep everybody fit. That’s it."
