Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot and Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
It has been some time since Liverpool's clash with Arsenal on Sunday ceased to be anything like a Premier League title decider. Events over the last few days, though, are in danger of turning the occasion into something else entirely.
Reds supporters have spent much of the past fortnight celebrating a 20th championship, the party ongoing to such an extent that last weekend's 3-1 defeat at Chelsea was almost an irrelevance to a delighted away end.
But thanks to the recent protestations and proclamations of Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta, there is now every chance those fans will return to their most hostile and gnarly when the Gunners visit Anfield at the weekend.
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Arteta this week questioned the value of Liverpool's title win - and highlighted his own loose grasp of mathematics - by indicating the Reds had won the title with fewer points than Arsenal finished with during the previous two seasons.
Now, football supporters in general should have a lot of time for the pettiness shown by the Gunners boss. It is, after all, ingrained in the DNA of every fan. Arteta is simply sticking up for his own team and, as a former Everton player, that it has been Liverpool being undermined perhaps makes it even more understandable.
The problem for the Spaniard, though, is that he cannot let it go. And the more he repeats his claims, the fear is the more he actually believes them.
Fortunately, most observers haven't been duped, with the narrative instead focusing on Arsenal's obvious failings this season.
Liverpool know a thing or two about how a long trophy drought can affect the mindset. While Arsenal have infamously never been European champions, it's now 21 years since they were last champions of England. A likely third runners-up finish in a row is going to hurt.
During that time, a curious Arsenal achievement has occasionally been rolled out with the Gunners taking the most points over a calendar year. They were top of that table in 2013, 2015 and last year. But it underlines their habit of being in the right place at the wrong moment. Successful teams know when to peak.
But there was more from the Arsenal boss after his team's ultimately feeble Champions League semi-final elimination to Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday evening.
Arteta's assertion Arsenal were the best team in the competition this season is frankly ridiculous. For a start, the Gunners played the two finalists four times and lost on three occasions.
Indeed, there's a strong argument to suggest Arsenal aren't even in the top five. PSG and Inter have been more impressive, so too fellow beaten semi-finalists Barcelona. And it took a penalty shoot-out for PSG to see off Liverpool having lost to Arne Slot's side at home. Aston Villa, who were much closer than Arsenal to eliminating the French team in the quarter-finals and downed Bayern Munich in the group stage, probably also surpassed the Gunners in terms of overall contribution.
Yes, Arsenal have had injuries. But they weren't the only team to suffer and their availability issues pale in comparison to those experienced by Liverpool last season.
Yet the Reds finished on a much higher points tally than Arteta's side will this term. And while there is some mitigation with Liverpool having not had Champions League demands last campaign - and going out a round earlier in the Europa League - their relentless injury problems didn't stop them claiming the League Cup in memorable fashion. Arsenal. don't forget, haven't won any silverware in five years.
The show of mentality at Wembley that afternoon against Chelsea, and the lessons learned from the dip during the closing weeks, were contributory factors to Liverpool demoralising and demolishing their Premier League rivals since the appointment of Slot in the summer.
A 15-point lead with three games underlines a dominance not even a mammoth away win this weekend can change. Arsenal could do a lot worse than look at what Liverpool are doing right rather than questioning the validity of their achievements.
It means both teams will be in their right place at the right moment on Sunday - Arsenal providing a guard of honour as Liverpool step out as Premier League champions. And how Anfield would now very much enjoy watching that fact then being emphatically underlined. It could get tasty.