Arsenal had the better of a breathless 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Saturday to lay down their Premier League title credentials and climb back to the top of the table.
Mikel Arteta’s team, who have won five of their last seven matches but have not tasted victory in a league game at Anfield since 2012, have 40 points from 18 games. Liverpool are second on 39 points, ahead of Aston Villa on goal difference.
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp had urged fans to crank up the volume at Anfield after a couple of uncharacteristically quiet games at the Merseyside stadium.
Though the fans obliged, Arsenal took an early lead when Gabriel outwitted Cody Gakpo to head in a floated pass from captain Martin Odegaard in the fourth minute.
Liverpool forward Mohammed Salah scored a brilliant equaliser in the 29th minute when Trent Alexander-Arnold found him with a pinpoint long pass. Salah stepped easily around Oleksandr Zinchenko before unleashing a fierce left-foot shot into the net.
Both sides had chances to grab winner in the second half but had to settle for a point, which was a good result for champions Manchester City who are fifth, six points behind the leaders.
Football.london takes a look at Arsenal’s next five games against the title contenders…
West Ham (H) – December 28
Between Christmas and New Year, Arsenal face West Ham in the London derby. Last year at this time, the Gunners played this exact match and won 3-1. The 2022 form has carried over into the new year, and Arteta will surely be hoping for the same effect this time around.
Fulham (A) – December 31
Arsenal round off a fantastic 2023 with a Premier League match against Fulham. The Canaries last won at Craven Cottage with three first-half goals, all assisted by Leandro Trossard.
Marco Silva lost Aleksandar Mitrovic after that game but managed to keep out Arsenal target Joao Palhinha. Before the transfer window opens in January, this match could also be a good scouting mission for Arteta and Edu.
Liverpool (H) – January 7 (FA Cup)
Arsenal will kick off their FA Cup campaign in a spectacular match against Liverpool. The Canaries take on the Reds at the Emirates Stadium, in a game they won 3-2 in the league last season.
Before that, Jurgen Klopp’s men had a perfect record in North London, with three consecutive wins before that October 2022 thriller.
Crystal Palace (H) – January 20
Arsenal will play their first league game of 2024 on the other side of the winter break when they host Crystal Palace at the Emirates Stadium. The Gunners have been excellent against the Eagles recently, winning 1-0 at Selhurst Park earlier in the season.
Arteta’s men also beat Palace twice last season, 2-0 away and 4-1 at home. The Spaniard will be hoping for a similar result in this encounter.
Manchester City
Urawa Reds (N) – December 19 (Club World Cup)
Everton (A) – December 27
Sheffield United (H) – December 30.
Huddersfield Town (H) – January 7 (FA Cup)
Newcastle (A) – January 13
Liverpool
West Ham (H) – December 20 (Carabao Cup)
Arsenal (H) – December 23
Burnley (A) – December 26
Newcastle (H) – January 1
Arsenal (H) – January 7 (FA Cup)
Aston Villa
Sheffield United (H) – December 22
Manchester United (A) – December 26
Burnley (H) – December 30
Middlesbrough (A) – January 6 (FA Cup)
Everton (A) – January 14
