Mikel Arteta sends new Liverpool title race message after Arsenal close the gap with late victory
Arsenal came from behind to earn a late victory over Newcastle United and move within two points of Liverpool in the Premier League table.
Mikel Arteta heaped praise on Arsenal for taking their opportunity to close the gap on Liverpool in the Premier League title race.
The Reds suffered their first setback of the 2025-26 season when suffering a 2-1 loss at Crystal Palace last Saturday. That opened a window for Arsenal to make up ground when they travelled to Newcastle United, having been five points behind the English champions.
The Gunners appeared they were going to fail to take advantage of Liverpool’s slip-up. Newcastle led the St James’ Park encounter after Nick Woltemade bagged in the 34th minute. However, Arsenal dug in and Mikel Merino equalised with six minutes of normal time remaining before Gabriel Magalhaes bagged a dramatic 96th-minute winner.
The North London side are now two points adrift of Liverpool in the early stage of the title race. Both sides are favourites to claim the English championship, with Arsenal finishing runners-up for the past three years.
Asked about closing the gap, Gunners boss Arteta said at hist post-match press conference (via the club’s website): “I believe the conviction of the team that we are and that we can play various types of games and the team still can deliver and win it in a convincing way. For me today it's one of the most difficult grounds. Again, praise to Newcastle, the way they play, compete, how difficult it is to play in this place but the team really took the game to a different level and I'm very proud to see that.”
Arteta was then quizzed on whether there was more pressure on Arsenal to deliver victory after Liverpool’s loss. Chelsea also suffered a 3-1 defeat by Brighton & Hove Albion, while Manchester City climbed the table with a 5-1 thrashing of Burnley. Arteta added: “There are moments in the season and obviously with the start that we had already and the difficult fixtures that we had, today we had the opportunity to close that gap and do it in a stadium that has a very recent and difficult past for us. I think it shows how much the team wants it.”
On scoring a last-minute winner, Arteta said that mentality is going to be required if Arsenal are to claim their first Premier League title since 2004. He said: “We discussed to go to the next level, first of all you have to learn from the past and certainly we take some lessons and very different and sore moments in this ground.
“Today was an opportunity that the game brings you again in a really important week in the Premier League after all the tough places that we've already been very early in the season to show who we are, who do we want to be, our ambition and the way that we want to play. I think the team has done that today in a remarkable way.
“I'd seen the action very clear and fast, so I thought [the referee] wasn't going to intervene but I don't know because obviously we had the example of what happens in the first half with a penalty. Regardless of that, I'm so proud of the team, the way we played, the way we competed, the way we understood the game, how we reacted to very difficult situations and decisions and still found a way to win the game with the players coming from the bench, exceptional.”