London: Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal side face a major examination of their Premier League title credentials when they face Liverpool at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday after successive home defeats.
The Gunners go into the latest round of matches at the top of the table, two points clear of their opponents and Chelsea who face Newcastle earlier in the day.
But their confidence has been hit by back-to-back home losses to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League and a League Cup exit at the hands of Chelsea.
Sandwiched in between was a victory at struggling Crystal Palace that maintained Arsenal’s impressive start to the championship campaign.
But Wenger, bidding to end Arsenal’s now eight-year-long trophy drought, knows his side must quickly reverse the dip in home form.
Olivier Giroud will return to lead the Gunners’ attack after starting on the bench against Chelsea and the Frenchman’s contribution — he has scored five goals in nine league games — is likely to be central to Arsenal’s chances of claiming three points.
The striker has overcome a slow start to his career in England and attributes his improvement to a growing self-belief.
“I think technically I had it before, maybe I progressed because we have worked on it a lot in training,” he said.
“It is also down to confidence. I did well from the start of the season, I had good preparation with the team - instead of last season when I wasn’t here from the beginning - and I scored early in the pre-season games.
“I feel really confident, the boss made me feel good and that is why I feel good and try to improve every day. It is all about confidence I think.”
Giroud’s all-round game has indeed improved and his role as goal-provider was highlighted with his assist for Jack Wilshere’s outstanding goal against Norwich which drew widespread praise.
France international Giroud added: “It is a great thing because the goal was shown all over the world - I am proud of it.
“It is a quality when you are a striker to not always be greedy and when you have a team-mate well placed on the pitch, in a good position, you have to assist him.
“Strikers are judged on their goals but we must also provide assists and that is what I try to do; help my team-mates.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers insists Luis Suarez’s impressive form this season proves the Reds were right to force the Uruguayan to stay at Anfield.
Suarez made repeated attempts to engineer a move to Arsenal in the close-season and became involved in a row with Rodgers after Liverpool refused to sell him.
The controversial striker, desperate to join a Champions League team, claimed Arsenal’s bid of £40,000,001 ($64 million, 47 million euros) triggered a clause in his contract allowing him to leave for that price, while he also accused Rodgers of reneging on an agreement between them which he claimed allowed him to leave for a side playing in Europe’s elite competition.
Liverpool owner John Henry was unequivocally opposed to selling his team’s prize asset to a rival and that stance appears to have been rewarded with Suarez scoring six goals in four league matches to help Rodgers’ side climb to third in the Premier League table.
And Rodgers is adamant Suarez should now have no reason to want to leave as he could well be playing in the Champions League with his current side next season.
“This was the place for Luis to showcase his talents. He is a player who deserves to be playing at the highest level of European football but we believe he can do that at Liverpool,” Rodgers said on Thursday.
“There is no greater stage for him than a club like this and once the window was shut, like we thought, there was never going to be an issue.
“He is one of the hardest-working players that is in love with football I’ve seen and once the window shut he has been brilliant.
“He is maturing as a man. He is 26, father of two now, and I think the maturity in his game and personal life is there to see.
“Everyone talks about his goals and work-rate but I’ve seen an improvement in his football ability and his maturity.
“That really bodes well for us. We won’t get carried away, we have to keep our concentration and continue to work very hard.”
Rodgers admits he understands why Arsenal tried to take advantage of Suarez’s unrest.
But he was delighted with the way Liverpool’s owners stuck to their guns, while also saluting the rest of the players for successfully blocking out the distraction.
“I understand why Arsenal would want to buy a player of Luis’ quality because he is one of the leading strikers in the world but it was something that was never going to happen,” Rodgers said.
“For us and the institution we are we certainly weren’t going to sell to a rival, a competitor, and that was something which was very strong from the off.
“You have to give credit to the players themselves. It certainly wasn’t an easy situation.
“It was also a great credit to the owners and the leadership of the club that they stood by what my thoughts were as a manager and they backed it all the way.”
