ON Sunday evening, Mikel Arteta will be contemplating one of two outcomes.
Beat Liverpool at the Emirates, cutting their lead at the top to two points, and Arsenal will find themselves involved in one of the most hotly-contested title races in top flight history.
Lose to Liverpool at the Emirates, falling eight points off the Premier League summit, and Arsenal’s wait for a first league title since 2004 will go on another year.
That is how monumental this game in North London is. A draw won’t do either. The chance to take three points off of Jurgen Klopp’s runaway side right now is too good to waste.
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That may sound a bit dramatic. After this weekend, the Gunners will have 15 Prem games left. On the face of it, plenty of time to chase, to scrap, to pray for Liverpool to falter.
But what makes this title race unique is that it is not just one horse you need to desperately gallop alongside – it is two.
Unfortunately for Arsenal, a certain Manchester City are in the hunt as well, and could end the weekend three points behind Liverpool with a game in hand.
Tottenham should not be discounted, currently three points off Arsenal, but it would take something truly outrageous for Ange Postecoglou’s rollercoaster side to string together a consistent run worthy of the title.
City themselves are veterans of that, staying with the pack when needed before smelling blood and pouncing.
Pep Guardiola’s side clawed back eight points on Arsenal last season to win the league for a third successive time thanks to a 16-game unbeaten stretch, beating Arteta’s boys twice.
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When Liverpool finished second to City on 97 points back in 2019, they lost just once all season – away at the Etihad. These big games matter.
Together, Klopp and Pep – Liverpool and City – have produced some of the most thrilling, mesmerising, down-to-the-wire title run-ins in the Prem era. A sensational double act.
That is what Arsenal want to be in the thick of, to prove they can handle the heat, mix it with the best, accumulate a head-spinning 90-plus points tally without breaking a sweat.
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The bad news in that respect is that even with a famous win over Liverpool, Arteta still has plenty of obstacles to overcome.
Newcastle at home. City away. Aston Villa at home. Spurs away. Manchester United away.
The good news is that so do Liverpool and City, each needing to play United, Spurs and Villa.
There is a chance, a small chance, that those in an around the top half could help Arsenal get over the line with a few shock results and upsets.
Yet none of that will mean a thing without giving Liverpool a bloody nose on Sunday, one that shakes up this title race in the most spectacular way possible.
Otherwise, it will most likely be the delightful duo going at it for the crown again.
What is their form like?
Arsenal have put a run of three defeats on the bounce behind them by winning their last two.
The Gunners beat a listless Crystal Palace side 5-0 last time out at the Emirates.
They followed up that triumph with a 2-1 away win at Nottingham Forest in mid-week.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have been imperious in 2024.
They have won every Premier League game so far this year; beating Newcastle 4-2, Bournemouth 4-0 and Chelsea 4-1.
Jurgen Klopp's side also booked their place in the Carabao Cup with a two-legged victory over Fulham, and have beaten Arsenal and Norwich in the FA Cup.
What is the team news?
Mikel Arteta will be hoping that he can finally reintroduce Thomas Partey to the squad after the midfielder returned to full training last week.
But the Arsenal boss is expected to continue without Jurrien Timber (knee), Fabio Vieira (groin) and Takehiro Tomiyasu (Asian Cup).
Elsewhere, Jurgen Klopp would have been delighted to come out of the Chelsea win with no fresh injury concerns.
But Joel Matip (knee), Stefan Bajcetic (calf), Thiago (hip) and Kostas Tsmimikas (broken collarbone) all remain unavailable.
While talisman Mohamed Salah continues to nurse his hamstring strain.
Who will be the star men?
Arsenal star Bukayo Saka is often the man to break down stubborn defences.
With Andrew Robertson fit again, the two could have a brilliant battle down the Gunners' right flank.
For Liverpool, in-form Luis Diaz could hold the key to victory.
The winger grabbed a goal and an assist in his side's 4-1 win over Chelsea.
What have the managers said?
Jurgen Klopp has outlined the keys to victory against the Gunners.
He said: "Will we improve? We will see. What we learn is that we have to be much more dominant in possession.
"There it was a typical away game. Yes, we had a few problems here and there, that's true, and it's a cup game, it's all about the result, stuff like this.
"But I think everybody who saw the game knows that Arsenal could have scored before we scored and that could have given the game a completely different direction obviously.
"But even these kind of games you can win, but I would prefer us to have more moments where we are in charge – as difficult as it is because they are really good."
Mikel Arteta was thrilled after his side's win at Forest, saying: "I'm really happy with the performance and with the result.
"It was still in our tummy, what happened here last year, and we wanted to put it right.
"We want to generate some momentum now in the league. I think we've got that and the performance was very good."
SunSport prediction
The Reds are hitting their groove, and don't appear to have been negatively affected by the announcement that Klopp is leaving at the end of the season. Their experience can get them over the line at the Emirates.
SunSport predicts: Arsenal 1 Liverpool 3
When is Arsenal vs Liverpool?
- Arsenal's mouthwatering match against Liverpool will take place TODAY, Sunday, February 4.
- It is scheduled to get underway at 4:30pm GMT.
- Emirates Stadium is the allocated arena for this huge clash and it can host approximately 60,704 fans.
- Liverpool beat Arsenal 2-0 on this very ground when the sides last met in an FA Cup encounter last month.
What TV channel is it on and can it be live streamed?
- Arsenal vs Liverpool will be broadcast LIVE on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League in the UK.
- Coverage is expected to commence from 4pm GMT on Sky Sports Main Event - 30 minutes before kick-off.
- Fans also have the option to stream the match through NOW TV.
- Alternatively, SunSport will have minute-by-minute coverage of the entire game through our live blog.
What are the latest odds?
- Arsenal to win 5/4
- Draw 13/5
- Liverpool to win 15/8
*Odds courtesy of Paddy Power are correct at time of publication
