Mikel Arteta only has himself to blame after ignoring Liverpool advice

Arsenal now finds itself chasing Manchester City in the Premier League title race, and Mikel Arteta's approach against Liverpool could end up costing his side dearly

Mikel Arteta's approach against Liverpool could end up costing Arsenal the title(Image: Getty Images)

If Arsenal does indeed miss out on the Premier League title this season, Mikel Arteta might well look back on his side’s two games with Liverpool with a lot of regret.

Having held a nine-point advantage in the title race earlier this month, the Gunners now find themselves chasing after Manchester City followed up its 2-1 victory at the Etihad on Sunday with a 1-0 win over Burnley on Wednesday.

It is a slender lead, with just goal difference giving Pep Guardiola’s side the advantage, but given the positions the two sides were in not too long ago, it’s a scarcely believable position for Arsenal to find itself in.

Dreams of a quadruple are in real danger of turning into another empty-handed season, and Arteta might have no one else to blame but himself if that does transpire.

Although his side has led the way for much of the season, Arteta has come in for criticism for the manner in which his side has played, and his pragmatism may ultimately be the factor that costs him his crowning glory.

The Spaniard’s tactics were questioned when his side fell to a 1-0 defeat at Anfield all the way back in August. Arsenal mustered just one shot on target that day, with the game decided by Dominik Szoboszlai’s spectacular free-kick.

Dominik Szoboszlai's free-kick saw Arsenal lose at Anfield back in August

Arteta was again accused of leaving the handbrake on when the Gunners drew 1-1 with City a month later, although they would soon take control of the title race as Liverpool crumbled.

By the time the Reds visited the Emirates Stadium for the return fixture in January, Arne Slot’s side sat 15 points behind Arsenal. Surely, as Chris Sutton predicted, this would be the moment when Arteta would let loose.

“It has to be different this time,” Sutton wrote in his BBC Sports predictions before the game. “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.”

He added: “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 [Arne] 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.”

Arsenal has failed to lay a glove on Liverpool this season

That didn’t happen. In fact, Liverpool could make a real claim for being the better team in what turned out to be a goalless draw in north London.

There’s no escaping the fact that the Reds have been pretty dismal this season. They’ve suffered 17 defeats across all competitions — 18 if you include the penalty shootout in the Community Shield.

City have had no problem dispatching Liverpool, scoring nine goals across three games. Yet Arsenal hasn’t been able to lay a glove on the Reds, with Arteta’s approach working against him on both occasions that the sides have met.

That failure to show some adventure against Liverpool could prove to be decisive. An extra two or three points from either of those games would have Arsenal still leading the way now - instead, Arteta may have let his big opportunity slip through his fingers.