If the title race is already over, then no-one told Mikel Arteta. “We have to continue to be like a hammer, be there every day, every day. If someone wins all the matches then we congratulate them and go to the next season. If they don’t, then we will be there.”
Those were the Arsenal manager’s bullish words this week, as he vowed that the Gunners are primed to push Liverpool all the way in the second half of the season in pursuit of Premier League glory.
The Spaniard has seen his side overcome some significant hurdles over the frenzied Christmas period with consummate professionalism, re-establishing themselves as the Reds’ nearest challengers with a minimum of fuss.
At the halfway point in the season and fuelled by recent heartbreak, Arsenal look as well prepared as ever to chase down the title.