'We believe' - Mikel Arteta sends new Liverpool title race message after Arsenal victory

Mikel Arteta has insisted that Arsenal still have the capabilities to win ‘a lot of football matches’ as they closed the gap on Liverpool in the Premier League title race.

The Gunners’ 2-0 win at Leicester City - courtesy of Mikel Merino’s double - means there is a four-point deficit between the Reds and the North London side. However, that will be restored to seven points should Liverpool triumph over Wolverhampton Wanderers at Anfield.

The top-flight crown is very much Arne Slot’s side’s to lose. But they have dropped points in three of their six league games since the turn of the year, most recently being held to a 2-2 draw against Everton in the Merseyside derby. James Tarkowski netted a 98th-minute equaliser.

‘We believe’

Arsenal are the underdogs, especially after losing first-choice striker Kai Havertz for the rest of the season because of a hamstring injury. Arteta was asked at his post-Leicester press conference about putting pressure on Liverpool after their stalemate with Everton. The Emirates Stadium boss replied: “Yes, and it was [important] for us as well.

“Everything that happened in the last few days, it was a lot of noise to show how much we want it, because regardless of what happens, we’re going to really go for it, that we believe for the resources that we have and the quality of our players and still adapt and be competitive and still win a lot of football matches.”

Merino to the rescue

Arsenal were playing their first game in 10 days after crashing out of the Carabao Cup semi-finals at the hands of Newcastle United. The Gunners also have talisman Bukayo Saka, Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus on the sidelines, leaving them with a dearth of options in attack.

Arsenal had to be patient against relegation-threatened Leicester and it appeared they could slip-up. But Merino, who was deployed as a makeshift striker in the closing stages, came up with goods as he broke the deadlock in the 81st minute before doubling the tally six minutes later.

On his side’s performance, Arteta said: “A very tough match – the first half, especially the first 20-25 minutes, we struggled to get certain momentum because we did a lot of simple things very wrong, giving a lot of balls away and they were really threatening and generating enough momentum and sequences in the opposition box. But, in the second half, it was very different. We had much more urgency, better intentions, better executions and then you can sense that the game was going in the direction that it had to go.

“Saying that, there’s a moment where we give the ball away in the middle of the park, the space is opening on the counter and Myles [Lewis-Skelley] has to make a magic touch to prevent the goal and at the other end, that’s when we’re scoring the goal with the subs. They were brilliant, and Mikel obviously made a huge impact to score the two goals.