Mikel Arteta says his Premier League leaders Arsenal will "have a point to prove" when champions Liverpool visit on Thursday night
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta previews the visit from Liverpool on January 7, 2026
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Mikel Arteta says Premier League leaders Arsenal will "have a point to prove" when champions Liverpool visit on Thursday night. And the Gunners boss insists he hasn't revised his opinion of Arne Slot's team, despite a difficult campaign so far.
Liverpool won the title by 10 points last time out without winning any of their final four games, but it is runners-up Arsenal who are out in front at the beginning of 2026, with Arterta's men 14 ahead of Slot's going into the game at the Emirates, where they are unbeaten all season.
The Reds lost nine of 12 in all competitions before stabilising and going on a nine-game unbeaten sequence that has featured four Premier League draws. And while they are unlikely to rival the Gunners for the title this time out, Arteta remains wary of the quality of Thursday's visitors.
"Well, yeah [I expected Liverpool to challenge], but obviously that's on paper," Arteta said. "But I still think that they are a superb team and what they've done as well.
"And you have to understand as well the confidence that they have with certain injuries and the difficulty of the league for all of us, but my opinion hasn't changed about them.
"We're very excited. It's a massive game against the champions of the last Premier League [season]. We have a point to prove. We're going to have our crowd, our supporters very early, before 8pm, with everybody there, creating an amazing atmosphere.
"They (supporters) have been unbelievable again this season. It makes such a difference. We become a different team. The level of energy, commitment, confidence, desire that we can show in every action, trust me, it is by them. We need them tomorrow in every ball.
"There is nothing like it. You become a different player. Your emotional status is better, your energy level is better, your confidence is better, they drive you to get into the action with a lot of aggression, a lot of determination and that lifts the whole team."
Arteta added: "We are top of the table, we play at home against a really good opponent and we want to maintain our position.
"In order to do that, we're going to have to be excellent throughout the game to deserve to win the game and that's the point we have to prove.
"Every week we have a point to prove. We had it a few days ago against Bournemouth after a great win against (Aston) Villa and it's going to continue like that until May.
"We know that because, once we are in the position we are in, we want to maintain that and extend the lead we have. In order to do that, our level of determination and desire has to be without mindset."