Liverpool travel to Arsenal tonight as Mikel Arteta discusses the Invincibles comparisons and praises Arne Slot's impact at the Reds ahead of the Emirates Stadium clash
Tom Canton Arsenal Reporter
07:50, 08 Jan 2026
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has downplayed any comparisons with the Invincibles, stating that his team must "win consistently" before such parallels can be drawn.
Despite leading the Premier League table ahead of the clash with reigning champions Liverpool on Thursday night and boasting more points and goals than the 2003-04 squad at this point in the season, Arteta is acutely aware that there's a long road ahead to secure their ultimate goal - the title.
The Spanish boss isn't taking anything for granted, recognising that the primary focus at the Emirates is to ensure the season concludes with silverware in hand.
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"No, because the Invincibles won a lot," was Arteta's reply during his pre-match press conference when questioned if his current team matches up to Arsene Wenger's legendary side. "And they won consistently, and they created a history and a legacy, and we have to do that."
Liverpool's campaign has been underwhelming so far, with their title defence faltering some time ago, leaving them trailing Arsenal by 14 points ahead of the North London showdown. However, Arteta had nothing but praise for the Reds and Arne Slot.
"The margins I think for all of us are really small, we always talk about that," said Arteta. "They have a great manager, they have a sensational structure. Understanding what they have to do in relation to the players that they select tomorrow on the line, and they can play in different ways.
"Because at the end, those will make them a little bit different and more specific to what we can expect tomorrow, and we have to be conscious of that and then focus on what we have to do."
Arne Slot shakes hands with Mikel Arteta
Arne Slot shakes hands with Mikel Arteta
When questioned about whether he was taken aback by Liverpool's position in the table, given their enormous summer spending spree on new players, Arteta replied: "I don't know But I think the previous year they didn't spend much and they managed to win the Premier League.
"That's football, and that's the reality of that. At the end, you need a lot of things to go your way to be champions, and almost everything has to be perfect.
"The moment you have issues around the squad or with players injured or whatever it is, then it is not that perfect. We all have gone through those stages, and we go through those stages throughout the season, and we have to navigate through that."
Despite suggestions that Liverpool's campaign demonstrates substantial investment doesn't automatically deliver silverware, Arteta maintained: "There are a lot of stories - especially when you talk about the level of wages that you spend on the squad and the level of players that you have. Over a certain period of time, you are going to be very successful.
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"That's the history of the Premier League. It is not something that I am saying that has happened time after time in this league over the years."
Kai Havertz could be available for selection this evening, having participated in Wednesday morning's training session. "We are monitoring his load," Arteta confirmed.
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"He's been out for a long time for two different reasons. He's very close. He trained this morning again. Hopefully we're going to have him available and the best version of himself."