Arsenal can take one step closer to winning the Premier League title when they travel to Liverpool on Sunday - less than three years since Mikel Arteta described the gap between the two teams as "enormous".
This occurred following the Gunners' win over Liverpool in July 2020, when Jurgen Klopp's side had already won the Premier League, while Arsenal were languishing in ninth place. The Reds were totally dominant that year and narrowly missed out on becoming the second side to reach 100 points.
Fast forward to April 2023 and 29 points separate the two, with Arsenal leading the way at the top of the table and Liverpool sitting all the way down in eighth. It has been a remarkable turnaround from Arteta to get the Gunners in this position - but the Spaniard hit the nail on the head with his future prediction.
Speaking after his side's win over Liverpool in 2020, Arteta told Sky Sports: "To beat this team you have to have moments in the game when you take your chances, defend and have a bit of luck. I was worried after 1-0 how we would react. We were able to pick one moment and believe again.
"We will go for both [competitions], our maximum, it is just a few games so we will keep going. The gap between the two teams today is enormous, we can not improve it in two months, but the accountability, the fight is now equal and I am very proud of that. The rest will take some time.
"Arsene [Wenger] did some incredible things and was very successful. I have done nothing yet. We need belief to go in the direction."
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Arteta has done a superb job since his debut campaign at the club. Although his first full season didn't end well as they finished eighth, he managed to turn it around last season.
The Gunners narrowly missed out on a Champions League place, before forming a title push this time around. They currently sit five points ahead of second-place Manchester City but can extend that lead by beating Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.
Ahead of the game, Arteta said: "They are a great team, managed by a top manager and they create an incredible atmosphere that makes it really difficult for us, for any opponent, as it is when to come to the Emirates.
"You know, it’s very, very difficult, so we know that, and the opportunity is ahead of us there on Sunday to do something that we have done in the last two or three years, to win in places that the team didn’t do for many, many years."
