Mikel Arteta has challenged Arsenal fans to make Emirates Stadium more hostile than Anfield ahead of Liverpool’s FA Cup visit on Sunday.
The Gunners host Jurgen Klopp’s side in the standout tie of this weekend’s third-round, 13 days on from the two sides drawing 1-1 in the Premier League on Merseyside.
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That game was played out in a vociferous atmosphere after Klopp rallied Liverpool supporters beforehand by urging them to “give your ticket to somebody else” if they weren’t prepared to passionately back their team.
Asked if Emirates Stadium could ever have that same intimidatory factor, Arteta said on Friday: “It will be our own one. We are really happy with the atmosphere that we have created at the Emirates. It has been really supportive.
“Can we tweak it and make it even more hostile? I think we can. That’s the next step in my opinion. We have to be so grateful for what we’re achieving in our home ground. Sunday is going to be another big one.”
Pushed on how Arsenal take that next step, Arteta continued: “I think the team has to give more. It has to transmit that bite, that aggression, that intimidation and that dominance to the opponent. Certain games this season, and Champions League games are going to create that next step. That’s my feeling.”
Successive league defeats to West Ham and Fulham have dented Arsenal’s hopes of a first Premier League title since 2004 and Arteta admitted: “It affects momentum because we were top on Christmas and now we are fourth.
“You can be very tempted to look with the microscope or with the telescope and have a bit more perspective. My job, big time, is to look with the telescope and have perspective and analyse things in the broader way and not get affected by one performance. Not result, one performance.”
Oleksandr Zinchenko could be in contention to face Liverpool as he makes progress in returning from a calf problem but Thomas Partey is still facing several weeks out due to an ongoing thigh problem which forced him to miss out on representing Ghana at the Africa Cup of Nations.
“It was about common sense,” said Arteta. “He had a long-term injury. He was trying to push his rehab because he really wanted to be with his national team, but he’s still far from training with the team and it didn’t make sense for him to be involved.”