Arsenal can look towards January with a lead to protect after a weekend that gave their Premier League title defence a major lift.
Sunday’s 1-0 win at Liverpool put Mikel Arteta’s side three points clear of Man City, with Kai Havertz delivering the moment that settled a tense afternoon.
The German finished Declan Rice’s low cross in the 16th minute, and Arsenal made that early advantage count despite plenty of pressure from the hosts.
Florian Wirtz rattled the crossbar and Alexis Mac Allister wasted a good headed chance, but the Gunners got through the danger and left with a precious victory.
After the shock Carabao Cup exit at Fleetwood, it was the response Arteta needed, with his team going from an embarrassing elimination to winning one of their hardest away fixtures.
Liverpool 0-1 Arsenal | ||
|---|---|---|
Stats | Liverpool | Arsenal |
Possession | 56% | 44% |
Expected goals (xG) | 1.05 | 0.98 |
Total shots | 17 | 10 |
Shots on target | 0 | 3 |
Big chances | 1 | 2 |
Corners | 7 | 4 |
Passes | 464 | 372 |
Offsides | 2 | 3 |
Fouls committed | 18 | 10 |
Yellow cards | 4 | 4 |
Red cards | 0 | 0 |
That result also came without Bukayo Saka, whose thigh injury continues to complicate the manager’s attacking choices.
Saka was forced off early in the Champions League draw at Bayern Munich and has missed Arsenal’s three matches since. Arteta has been waiting for further scans to establish the extent of the problem, including whether the tendon is affected.
A definite return date has not been confirmed.
Winning at Anfield showed Arsenal can cope without their winger, but keeping that going through a packed programme is a much bigger demand on the players stepping in.
Noni Madueke and Christos Tzolis both started on Sunday after their own recent fitness concerns, while Arteta revealed afterwards that Eberechi Eze had needed medical attention just to make the squad.
Max Dowman’s domestic ban also further restricts his league selections even more, and those are real selection headaches for a manager trying to keep Arsenal strong in the league and Europe.
Wednesday brings a Champions League trip to Slavia Prague, followed by Hull City’s visit on Saturday. The matches keep coming, and Arteta needs attacking options he can trust to stay available and make an impact.
Mikel Arteta makes “top-class” forward Arsenal’s January priority as injury worries grow
Arteta is now pushing for January action, with The Mirror’s John Cross reporting that the manager has made a “top-class” forward his top transfer priority.
The aim is to give Arsenal enough attacking strength to chase another Premier League title and the Champions League, and Cross says the left flank is the preferred area to improve, although versatility is also important.
Arsenal want someone who can operate in different attacking roles, with Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi one player being watched, but the Cherries are reluctant to sell during the winter window.
Cross flags potential competition from PSG and Bayern Munich, adding another obstacle if Arsenal decide to turn their interest into an approach, while Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz remains on Arsenal’s radar too.
With Andrea Berta’s pursuits of Morgan Rogers and Vinícius Júnior coming to nothing in the summer, it leaves an attacking addition high on the agenda.
Arteta’s January push is about having enough firepower to keep chasing European and domestic glory without each new injury leaving him shorter and shorter of options.
Source: www.footballfancast.com
