Title Battle Is Not A Two-Horse Race: Arsenal's Arteta

(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Mikel Arteta said on Friday the Premier League title race cannot be boiled down to a straight shootout between Arsenal and Liverpool as he urged his players to relish the battle.
The Gunners moved to within four points of Arne Slot's table-topping Reds following their 2-1 comeback victory against Tottenham at the Emirates on Wednesday. Liverpool had dropped two points against high-flying Nottingham Forest the previous day, though they still have a game in hand over their rivals.
Chelsea are 10 points behind Liverpool following a slump, while champions Manchester City are a dozen points off the pace.
But Forest are just two points behind Arsenal and in-form Newcastle are also in the mix.“I don't think so,” Gunners manager Arteta said when asked if Liverpool and Arsenal were in a straight fight for the title.
“When you look at every game in the Premier League and the margins and how teams are winning football matches, it can go either way.
“In two or three weeks we could be talking about something different. We are still in January so it is going to be a long, long run.”
Arsenal host Aston Villa at the Emirates on Saturday fresh from their comeback triumph over Spurs, which breathed fresh life into their bid to land a first league title in two decades.
“If you want to be fighting for the top trophies with the top teams for 11 months, like we have been doing for the last two-and-a-half years, you have to enjoy these moments, circumstances or challenges and the pressure that comes with it because it's the beauty of it,” said Arteta.“We are playing to win and that's exactly where we want to be.”
The 42-year-old Spaniard added:“It's always important when we are able to win and capitalise on other teams dropping points, firstly because we won, and secondly because for the rest it's not what they wanted. It has been a good week. But we need many more of those at the moment because of where we are (in the table).”
Arsenal are without long-term absentee Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus following his season-ending cruciate ligament injury. Jesus' injury leaves Kai Havertz as the club's sole recognised forward and Arteta reiterated his desire to make a move in the January transfer window.
Liverpool's Slot braced for tough test against Brentford
Arne Slot says the second half of the season will be even tougher than the first as he targets a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title for Liverpool in his first campaign at Anfield.
The Reds have been the outstanding team in England and Europe this season, losing just two of their 31 games in all competitions. Four points clear of second-placed Arsenal with a game in hand, they face a testing match against mid-table Brentford on Saturday.
The London side, who drew 2-2 with Manchester City this week, have the joint-highest number of home wins in the league this season – equal with Arsenal and Liverpool on seven.
“This season, maybe more than every other season, shows the strength of every single team that's in the league,” Slot said.
“In the second half of the season that it's even harder to win your games than in the first half of the season, because teams are longer together, managers are working longer with the team, you've played already once against each other so maybe there's a different game plan, some teams bring players in to strengthen the squad and teams are fighting for getting into Europe, winning the league, trying to stay in the league.”
Brentford were the opposition in Slot's first home league game in August – a match Liverpool won 2-0.“I already thought, 'If this is going to be the resistance we get every week then this is a more difficult league than the Eredivisie', which I knew before I came but it was proven that day as well,” he said.
The Dutchman said Liverpool, who have drawn their past two games, were not obsessing over the table“every second of the day”.

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