Arteta aims to break Anfield duck

Liverpool, April 7

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Arsenal will need to be brave and at their very best if they are to snap their winless run at Anfield, manager Mikel Arteta said today, as the Premier League leaders look to maintain their eight-point lead over Manchester City in the title race.

Arsenal have not won at Anfield in the Premier League since 2012, a game in which Arteta played. Since then they have suffered heavy defeats, including two 5-1 losses.

The north London club were in the contest last year before Arteta’s touchline spat with Liverpool boss Juergen Klopp fired up the home side who ran out 4-0 winners.

“We’ve been in a few grounds that we haven’t won in 17, 22 years and we’ve managed to do that. So we’re capable of doing it,” Arteta told reporters ahead of Sunday’s game.

“We know we’ll have to be at our very best to win the game and certainly better than we were there, especially in the second half last year when we opened up and allowed Liverpool to attack open spaces in a really comfortable way,” he added.

“We have to fully embrace it and go for it, it’s a chance to go to Anfield and do something we haven’t done for many years… It’s a different group coming from a different position. What we need to have is courage – on Sunday we’ll try to be that team,” he said. — Reuters

Haaland available for Man City

Southampton: Prolific striker Erling Haaland is available to play tomorrow when Manchester City visit last-place Southampton, manager Pep Guardiola said today. The Norway international returned to training this week after a groin injury forced him to miss City’s 4-1 victory over Liverpool last weekend. AP