Arsenal

Alex Howell
Football reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Manager Mikel Arteta will hope the Gunners do not live to regret this performance and result when the season comes to a close in May.

His team have been excellent this term but were below par on this occasion.

Arsenal are still in an excellent position, no doubt about it, and this may not be a bad point in the long run. But after facing a Liverpool side who were lacking a recognised number nine, the Gunners may feel they could have been more proactive in forcing a home win.

Arteta did try to make something happen, introducing Gabriel Jesus, Eberechi Eze, Noni Madueke and Gabriel Martinelli from the bench, but the changes did not stop Liverpool having the better of the second half.

This was also a disappointing night for summer signing Viktor Gyokeres. The striker was withdrawn in the 64th minute with the scores level after failing to have a shot.

Gyokeres could not complain that there weren't opportunities, with a number of Arsenal crosses going across the face of goal without being attacked.

Could Arsenal perhaps afford to draw because of their impressive season, and because their nearest challengers are not applying maximum pressure just now? Only time will tell us that.

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta spoke to Sky Sports after his side's draw to Liverpool: "We know that the margins are very small. I think we have two different halves.

"The first one, where we have a lot of domination, created big situations with players almost onside the six-yard box to pick a player up, and we didn't find the right pass to score the goal. And the second half was a bit more of a struggle.

"This game needs some magic moments, and at Anfield, [Dominik] Szoboszlai did it, and they won the game, and today it didn't happen, but you cannot win it, you cannot lose it.

"We have some moments where we have the right positional advantages to really hurt them, and then when we got into these areas, we lacked quality to pick the players.

"We've come from a very demanding schedule. The last six games that we've played in this Christmas period, and we've come out of that in a really strong position."

On Gabriel Martinelli trying to push Conor Bradley off the pitch: "Probably he doesn't know because knowing Gabi, there is zero intention.

"I don't know what happened to Conor, but hopefully it's not bad, but obviously, there is no intention from Gabi to do anything bad to him."

Did you know?

• Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta remains winless against Arne Slot (D3 L1), with the Dutchman being the only opposing manager to avoid defeat in his first four games against the Spaniard (all between Arsenal and Liverpool in the Premier League).

• Arsenal failed to score in a Premier League game for the first time since their reverse fixture with Liverpool in August (0-1 at Anfield) – indeed, the only two occasions they've failed to find the net across their last 32 league matches have both been against Arne Slot's side.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Arsenal's performance

What did you make of Liverpool's display?

Come back on Friday for a selection of your replies

Mikel Arteta swaps to what can be considered his strongest available team. The Arsenal manager rotatetd his wingers for the win over Bournemouth but brings Bukayo Saka and Leandro Trossard back into the starting XI.

Arsenal XI: Raya, Timber, Saliba, Gabriel, Hincapie, Zubimendi, Rice, Odegaard, Saka, Trossard, Gyokeres

Subs: Arrizabalaga, White, Jesus, Eze, Martinelli, Norgaard, Madueke, Merino, Lewis-Skelly

Arne Slot makes just one change to the side that drew with Fulham the last time out. Jeremie Frimpong comes in for Curtis Jones. The big news is that there is no Hugo Ekitike in the squad.

Liverpool XI: Alisson, Bradley, Van Dijk, Konate, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Frimpong, Wirtz, Gakpo

Subs: Mamardashvili, Woodman, Gomez, Chiesa, Jones, Robertson, Nyoni, Ramsay, Ngumoha

Image source, Getty Images

Since Declan Rice's £105m record signing move to Arsenal in 2023, the 26-year-old has proved to be an important figure in Mikel Arteta's title pursuit.

The English midfielder is now in the midst of his third league campaign at the Emirates and has featured in92 out of a possible 96 Premier League games.

Speaking to Arsenal's club media, Rice praised Arteta for his man-management.

"The good thing is with the manager, he knows when to put the knife in me, just to give me a nudge, he knows how to get the best out of me," he said.

"I love to listen, I love to take it all in. Since then, I've just gone on and the games are coming so thick and fast so I'm just trying to play consistently well," said Rice.

In a time where some senior experienced professionals believe they should have a starting shirt, Rice denies there being any meritocracy in the Arsenal camp.

"This is a club where there's fierce competition and nothing's ever guaranteed, so you need to be able to be on it every single day and every single week just to keep your place."

Arteta is now into his seventh season at Arsenal and he is yet to lead the Gunners to the Premier League title.

However, Arsenal's momentum cannot be ignored, and as other teams have dropped points, the Gunners have a five-game unbeaten run in the top flight.

"We're in the position we're in because we have amazing players, we have an incredible manager, we have a team that are fully buying into what the manager wants and we're going out on the pitch at the minute and things are falling into place," added Rice.

Alex Howell
Arsenal reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Ethan Nwaneri had a breakout season last term when the Arsenal forward deputised so impressively for the injured Bukayo Saka.

He played mostly on the right wing and scored nine goals in 37 appearances in all competitions to mark himself out as one of England's most talented young players.

Yet this season, his involvement has been limited.

Nwaneri has made 11 appearances in all competitions, starting just three times across matches in the Carabao Cup and Champions League. He has played just 446 minutes and has scored one goal.

The Gunners spent about £250m bringing in eight players over the summer to increase the depth in their squad, with Martin Zubimendi, Viktor Gyokeres, Eberechi Eze and even the younger Noni Madueke "win now signings".

But those experienced arrivals, and Arsenal's success, have come at a cost to younger members of the squad like Nwaneri, who signed a new five-year deal in the summer as he committed his future to his boyhood club.

Nwaneri's future was under discussion before he signed the contract that will keep him in north London until 2030.

It is understood Nwaneri is fully committed to succeeding at Arsenal and that if there was any chance of him leaving it would have been in the summer during discussions about his contract.

With the January window open and Nwaneri's lack of game time, there has been speculation about whether he will go out on loan.

That is not something being considered by either the club or the player, with the feeling that Nwaneri will learn more by being around a title challenge and training with players such as Saka, Eze and Martin Odegaard than going elsewhere for more minutes.

Nwaneri's taste of regular minutes last season has raised his expectations, but having to fight for game time at a club like Arsenal has not surprised him.

There were discussions about Nwaneri's pathway into the team in the summer as part of the talks to conclude his new contract.

Nwaneri being able to play centrally - his preferred position - and on the right is a boost to his hopes of more action, but the success of £48.5m Madueke and £67m Eze have created a lot of competition for those spots.

Arsenal play nine times in total this month - with fixtures in the Premier League, the FA Cup against Portsmouth and the Champions League - so there is every chance he will get game time in which to shine.

Nwaneri will know he must capitalise on those chances if he is to have more involvement in the second half of the season and the opportunity to develop his undoubted talent.

Read more about Nwaneri here

Noel Sliney
BBC Sport senior journalist

League leaders Arsenal seek an eighth successive top-flight home win on Thursday at the expense of the side they are hoping to depose as champions, Liverpool.

Mind the gap

Mikel Arteta said his Arsenal side's fightback to win after giving Bournemouth an early goal on Saturday "says a lot about how much we've grown". They have responded with resilience and defiance to a wobble of three winless away games in a row, taking maximum points from their subsequent five league fixtures and advancing to the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup.

It has been well documented that Arsenal failed to win the league title in any of the seven most recent seasons when they were top at Christmas. However, their lead since 25 December has grown from two points to six, with history now far more in their favour.

In the Premier League era, there have been nine previous instances of a team leading by six points or more after the top two have played 20 matches. That team has gone on to win the title on six occasions, a healthy two thirds of the time.

Manchester United are the only previous side to have had a cushion of exactly six points at this stage but finished as runners-up to Arsenal in 1997-98. Newcastle and Liverpool both lost seven-point leads after 20 matches, in 1995-96 and 2018-19 respectively.

Arsenal squandered a five-point advantage at the same point of the season in 2022-23, starting a run of three successive second-place finishes. Nonetheless, they have far more games remaining at home than away against high-calibre opposition, a factor that will strength their resolve as they seek a first league title since 2004.

Liverpool at the double?

The next of those home fixtures is against the current champions. Liverpool trail the Gunners by 14 points after being held to successive draws, though they are now unbeaten in nine games in all competitions since a horror run of nine defeats in 12 matches.

The Reds can also point to an impressive record in this fixture. They have only lost two of the 13 most recent league and cup meetings, winning six, and have scored in each of the past 20 top-flight encounters between the two since a 0-0 draw in August 2015.

On Thursday, Liverpool are looking to complete the Premier League double over Arsenal for the eighth time. In the competition's history, no side has beaten the Gunners home and away in a season as often.

Liverpool badly missed Hugo Ekitike in their draw against Fulham and put in another lacklustre display.

Arne Slot's side are nine games unbeaten now, so their recent results have been all right on paper.

It's their performances that are the problem, though. When you see them with your own eyes, they are miles off where they were when they won the title last season and are nowhere near where Arsenal are at now either.

When Liverpool beat them at Anfield in August, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta was criticised for being too cautious, as he often is in big games like this.

It has to be different this time. This Liverpool team have been leaking goals all season, so Gunners fans are not going to accept Arteta sitting back.

I doubt Arteta will do it this time, because Arsenal are at home and Liverpool are there for the taking.

In fact, there should be zero negativity in the way they are set up. Manchester City have dropped points twice in the past few days, so Arsenal are six points clear. It's just over six years since Arteta took charge and this is not the time for him to be cautious.

The Gunners should go for it, because they are on a different level to Liverpool and they may as well be in a different league.

No-one thinks Slot's side are going to win the Premier League anymore, even though they are fourth, and they don't look capable of flexing their muscles and going on a long winning run, either.

That is not going to happen. This is a bang-average Liverpool team this season, and Arsenal should be able to exploit all of their weaknesses.

It should be pretty comfortable for the league leaders too.

They are carrying Viktor Gyokeres a bit, because he has just not fired for them up front, but it does not seem to matter, they are winning anyway.

Declan Rice is just majestic in the middle of the park, he is just phenomenal, and they have got lots of different ways of scoring goals.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

Bournemouth are interested in a loan move for Arsenal forward Ethan Nwaneri. However, the 18-year-old England Under-21 international's preference is to stay with the Gunners until the end of the season, even though he is struggling for first-team football. (Independent), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Alex Howell
Arsenal reporter

Image source, Getty Images

Mikel Arteta has said Eberechi Eze's "desire" to play at Arsenal has gone "even higher", with the attacking midfielder not having been able to get into the team in recent weeks.

Eze, who joined the Gunners in the summer for a deal worth about £67m, has not played a minute in any of the past four Premier League matches, watching four important victories from the bench.

Eze's lack of gametime has coincided with an upturn in form for captain Martin Odegaard, who has scored one goal and provided two assists in Arsenal's past three games.

Odegaard and Eze play in a similar position but Arteta has said the latter has been "exceptional" in the way he has dealt with being out of the starting XI and praised his application in training.

"His level of desire has gone even higher," Arteta said.

"The way he trains every day, the way he wants it and wants to do everything it takes to change my mind and give him more minutes, has been phenomenal.

"That is not easy. It is easy to expect it. But with the level of players we are talking about, that is not easy. I am very confident we are going to see a great version of Ebs in the coming months."

The England international has played as a number 10, an advanced number eight and also from the left wing, and Arteta believes Eze can play in all of those roles.

"It depends on the relationships he has with the players around him and the type of game that we have to play," said the Spaniard.

"It is true he has always been more shifted to the left, whether he has been wide or in that pocket of space, but he has had some great games with us playing on the right as well.

"He is that intelligent and that good as a footballer that he can occupy any space. I am more driven to decide where he plays in relation to the players around him than his position."

Arsenal play nine games throughout January in the Premier League, the FA Cup, the Champions League and Carabao Cup, and it is likely Eze will get minutes to try to force his way back into the starting XI.

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Premier League game against Liverpool at Emirates Stadium (kick-off 20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Defenders Riccardo Calafiori and Cristhian Mosquera are still unavailable but "in their last phase of recovery".

• Kai Havertz trained again on Wednesday so Arteta is hoping to have him available for Thursday's game.

• He said the fans at the Emirates "lift the whole team" to play "with aggression, a lot of determination" and "confidence", which is vital in their title push.

• On Leandro Trossard, who has been receiving praise for his progression this season: "He has the ability, but the level of consistency he is showing this season, in particular, has been exceptional. He's really clicking with the team in every aspect of the game and is a player that provides something different."

• He said it is easy to keep the focus in the squad because "we all want it that much and that is what is driving everybody".

• He called Declan Rice, Martin Odegaard and Martin Zubamendi's connection "exceptional", adding it is "very clear that they click" as a trio and "complement each other".

• He said opponents Liverpool "can play in different ways" so they have to be "conscious of that" when preparing.

• More from Arteta on the Reds: "We want to win every game. The most important one is tomorrow's. We know what we have to do to beat them. Now we have to prove it on the pitch."

Follow all of Wednesday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Laura Kirk-Francis
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

With Arsenal trailing 1-0 inside the opening 11 minutes at Vitality Stadium on Saturday, the ghosts of previous seasons threatened to appear.

However, Mikel Arteta's side emerged with three points thanks in part to a multifaceted trio of leaders, each possessing a distinct personality and delivering a vital contribution.

Gabriel Magalhaes, returning from a groin injury, has arguably been Arsenal's most influential player this season. He is a swashbuckling giant in both boxes - but his errant pass gifted Bournemouth the opener.

His response was immediate, and within minutes Arsenal were level. While 'Mr Reliable' felt ironic in that moment, 'Mr Accountable' is perhaps more fitting. He is a player who physically drags his team-mates back from a self-inflicted wound.

Then there is Declan Rice, the vocal and visible driver of this team. He demands the ball and consistently backs himself to be the difference-maker. His double on Saturday was the ultimate display of leading by doing. The consistency with which Rice delivers excellence has become the benchmark for those around him.

Completing the trio is Arsenal's official captain, Martin Odegaard. If Gabriel provides the power and Rice the engine, Odegaard exudes a quieter brand of authority. Back to his sublime best, the Norwegian has now provided two assists and a goal in his past three appearances. He is the ultimate puppet master.

With Arsenal now six points clear at top of the table, the pressure will continue to increase. To cross the finish line, they will need to call upon this unique combination of power, performance and creativity once again.

Find more from Laura Kirk-Francis at the Latte Firm podcast, external

Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea and Real Madrid are all keen on Rennes' French defender Jeremy Jacquet, 20. (Teamtalk), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

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Declan Rice stole the headlines in Arsenal's victory over Bournemouth on Saturday after coming back from injury to score twice and take the Gunners six points clear at the top of the Premier League.

Rice has continued to flourish in a more attacking midfield role - having initially been a defensive midfielder for West Ham and when first moving to the Emirates.

But it was just the second time in his 375 senior club appearances that he netted more than once in a game, alongside last season's remarkable free-kick double against Real Madrid.

"I thought it was a masterclass," former England forward Jermain Defoe told BBC Match of the Day. "In and out of possession he was so good, even the other side of the game, all of the second balls he won and his positioning, his pitch geography.

"He's definitely up there with the best midfielders in Europe. He's a key player for Arsenal in the title race.

"I think he can score more goals, but it was such a good performance."

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast, ex-Premier League striker Clinton Morrison added: "He is some player.

"He missed the game midweek so everyone was a bit worried, but he was fantastic against Bournemouth. He is one the best players around and on a different level at the moment.

"He covers the ground so well and this season he has added more goals to his game so that makes him a complete midfielder.

"Rice and Moises Caicedo are the best midfielders in Europe right now, but Rice has more goals."

Listen to the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds

We asked for your thoughts after Saturday's Premier League game between Bournemouth and Arsenal.

Here are some of your comments:

Bournemouth fans

Gabe: A performance to be proud of, especially in the first half. Very happy to see both our strikers score. Kroupi is a star! Our defence now is definitely looking better in dealing with intensity. The Senesi-Hill partnership is working well at the moment. Hopefully we can turn these recent good performances into a win on Wednesday.

Bob: Goal difference is an indication of the Cherries' major problem. Physical strength was an apparent difference and there was a definite lack of a target man up front.

Lee: We started the game well and probably shaded the first half, but then gave away two very cheap goals in the second half and that made it hard to come back. Overall, I thought we matched Arsenal but we are conceding too may goals and up front we have to be more clinical. Next up is Spurs so come on, you Cherries!!

Arsenal fans

Banda: Arsenal didn't play perfectly, but they kept their cool and showed real grit. Coming away with a win in a tight match like that is exactly the kind of fight we need if we want the title. Still, the defence has to tighten up a bit, but I'm loving the fight!

Paul: A better side than Bournemouth would have beaten Arsenal. Far too many chances conceded - 15 shots to 12! Declan Rice won it on his own with a standout display of tackles, running and finishes.

Tim: Ground out a great result after a below-par performance in the first half - all while being able to rest and rotate key players. A great result against a team we lost to in the corresponding fixture last season. On to the Liverpool game on Thursday.

Pundits Alan Shearer and Jermain Defo join host Mark Chapman to bring you the action and talking points from Saturday's Premier League fixtures.

Watch on BBC iPlayer here

And listen back to full match commentaries on BBC Sounds:

• Brighton 2-0 Burnley

• Wolves 3-0 West Ham

• Bournemouth 2-3 Arsenal

Mikel Arteta spoke to BBC Match of the Day after Arsenal's victory against Bournemouth: "It is very different context to the Villa game. We put ourselves into a very difficult position with the manner we conceded the first goal but what Gabriel has done was remarkable, he showed leadership and unity. We then grew into the game and scored two great goals.

"Declan Rice was struggling the last few days but pushed and pushed and pushed and made himself available. He played 96 minutes, scored two goals and was one of the best players on the pitch. That is the mentality we need from all of us.

"The ones who came in did really well, that is what we need. All of the players are really consistent and it was against a team difficult to beat.

"We will learn from the first goal we conceded. It is the quality of the oppositon and sometimes you have to applaud that.

"We are still in January we have nine games this month so we will play game by game."

Declan Rice also spoke to MOTD: "We knew it was always going to be really tough. To pick up the three points and the way we did it was really important.

"It showed the character of Gabriel to make the mistake and then how he played for the rest of the game, it showed the mentality of the team. Key thing was three points and we are building momentum.

"I have been in situations before where I have scored one in a game and wanted to score another and it hasn't happened but now it is. We are going to need everyone chipping in at different points so happy to help the team.

"We have had it tough this season like a lot of other teams with injuries. We are in a good spot, if we can keep rotating then good things will happen but there's a long way to go."

Did you know?

Arsenal have won 15 of their 20 Premier League games this season, only in 2022-23 and 1932-33 (both W16 D2 L2) have they won more of their first 20 matches in a league season.

Emlyn Begley
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Mikel Arteta's side enter the second half of the Premier League campaign the way they ended the first, with a victory. The 3-2 win at Bournemouth was their fifth victory in a row in the league.

The Spaniard will be happy too that he was able to do so while rotating players - regular starters Leandro Trossard and Saka started on the bench.

At this stage results, and not dominant performances, are what count as Arsenal try to win their first title since 2003-04 - and they are getting the results.

Arsenal were not at their best in the first half and Gabriel committed his first error leading to a goal in the league since February 2023 when he inadvertently picked out fellow Brazilian Evanilson, who netted the Bournemouth opener.

But he made up for that with the leveller - with good work from Noni Madueke in the build-up to that.

They had not had a shot since the 18th minute when Rice put them 2-1 up after 53 minutes - with Viktor Gyokeres holding up the ball before Odegaard found his midfield colleague.

Saka came on as part of a triple change for Arsenal and soon after set up Rice's second - his first Premier League double in his 296th league game.

They would have hoped to cruise over the line after that - but they did not have too many scares after Eli Junior Kroupi's strike for Bournemouth.

Whether you were at the game or following from elsewhere, we want to know what you learned.

Have your say on Bournemouth's performance

What did you make of Arsenal's display?

Come back on Monday for a selection of your replies