‘Red day’ at the Emirates

The afternoon of Sunday, February 4, is marked in red for a long time in the calendar of illusions of Arsenal. The ‘reds’ will be their rivals, as the leader of Liverpool, unshakable this year and in a rare moment, visits the Emirates Stadium. It is an important day for the Gunners in their ambition not to fail this season, when 20 years have passed since their last title, the one won by the remembered ‘Invincibles’ of Arsene Wenger in 2004.

After letting go of last year’s eight-point lead over the city In the second part of the season, experience now counts in the strengthened team of Mikel Arteta, who was given a second chance, jumped over the ‘red wall’ and was only two points away. After an unfortunate month in which they chained three setbacks, the signs now coming out of Arsenal are more positive. They achieved their second successive victory on Tuesday, and at the always hostile City Ground in Nottingham (1-2), a stadium that was not pleasant for them especially since it was the beginning of their downfall last season, when they went down 1-0, handcuffed by pressure. He buried the bad memories by winning this time against Forest, with a good collective performance.

The Gunners have digested their past mistakes and learned from that bad experience of the past. They act with renewed momentum, and the success at the City Ground proves it. There was a score to settle, and they came out on top. He Arsenal this time he showed the virtues he had instilled in them Arteta, that football always revolves around positional sense, constant movement and interaction between its players. It is no coincidence that they remember so many times indelibly City of Manchester of Pep Guardiolawith whom Arteta He trained as a coach, and on Wednesday he lost Burnley (3-1), to keep the pressure on as the current champion, even with a postponed match to play. The bitter fight between the three, which they can still join Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villalooking to secure a place in the Champions League, promises the most exciting finish to the Premier League in the last decade.

The cruel spring

The race for the Premier title will begin its decisive reach, with the curves of the spring months already taking shape, with Liverpool so far inextricable. They lost only one match, and that too in north London, against Tottenham Hotspur (2-1). Since that day, the trajectory of the team Jurgen Klopp He has been impressive, keeping all his options in the four competitions he has contested, with impressive regularity. Only the announced departure in June of the German coach, with its unexpected emotional impact, could change the progress of a team that, even without its scorer Salah, does not give ground.

He arrived at the Emirates as a leader after months of being superior. If they win again in north London, it will almost certainly reduce the Gunners’ chances. Their prolific display against Chelsea (4-1) was a clear message to their rivals, showing football with ferocious speed, pace and scoring opportunities. Pure style Klopp‘. Such was the dominance of the ‘reds’, that the Chelsea coach, Mauricio Pochettino, acknowledged, at Anfield, that “if we don’t improve a lot, we will be embarrassed,” in the Carabao Cup final to be played on February 25 at Wembley. “We need your same energy,” added the frustrated Pochettinovery hurt by the inferiority of those Chelsea.

He Liverpool He made himself a fear and arrived at the Emirates accelerated by his great streak of success, although that, more than stopping him, turns to Arsenal to give his best image to his passionate North London fans. “You don’t score a lot of goals without a good performance,” a confidant acknowledges Kloppwas particularly pleased with how his team defended – it also had few goals – and how the youngsters responded, as Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones or Bobby Clark in the period of time during which the damages are reduced.

Have a good recovery in Dubai

For him Arsenal The game will again require risk and ambition. And the best of their individualities. It will play out almost all or nothing, but his emotional conditions are more favorable now. “Three weeks ago, we were playing well, but we didn’t win enough. Now we are doing it,” he said optimistically. Mikel Arteta, after witnessing the enthusiastic reaction of his crew after 10 days of winter ‘stage’ in Dubai. There are arguments in favor of his illusion: Gabriel Jesus He was a key player in the success of the Nottingham with a goal and an assist, and Bukayo Saka also scored. They are two of his most decisive players and on whom his success depends.

It is one of the most followed rivalries in the Premier and it is also considered Jurgen Klopp, when he turns around, because he created many indelible memories with the ‘reds’. He usually remembers that many of these confrontations were “spectacular, with many goals to enjoy.” There is close precedent to surround Sunday afternoon’s event at the Emirates Stadium. It was the damaging 0-2 on January 7, in which Liverpool eliminated the Arsenal of the FA Cup, thanks to an own goal from Kiwior and a shot by Luis Díaz, scored in the final ten minutes, despite Arsenal’s unsuccessful dominance throughout the match. That defeat was very painful and that is why today is ‘the red day’ marked for the expected revenge of the ‘gunners’.