Arsenal continued to chase Liverpool in the Premier League title race with a 2-0 win over Manchester United at the Emirates, a victory that once again affirmed the Gunners' impressive ability to score from set pieces.
Second-half goals from Jurrien Timber and William Saliba, both from corners, secured a comfortable win for Arsenal, and handed manager Ruben Amorim his first defeat since taking charge of United last month.
With Liverpool dropping points after a dramatic 3-3 draw with Newcastle at St. James' Park, Arsenal have closed the gap between the two teams to seven points.
"Last year we scored the most goals in the club's history. Not just set pieces but a lot of other things. We want to create individual moments of brilliance and also magic.
"A lot of players can create goals. We can score from short counter-attacks or long counter-attacks, build up the ball slowly and unlock the opponent," said Arteta.
Last week, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta warned Liverpool that being top of the table is no guarantee, implying that "all of a sudden when you think you have it, one day it will come crashing down".
A 3-3 draw with Newcastle was not a collapse for Liverpool, but it gave the chasing pack a chance to close the gap. Chelsea and Manchester City also beat Southampton and Nottingham Forest respectively, putting the pressure on Arsenal and Liverpool.
Timber's goal in the 54th minute eased the tension in the Emirates stadium, after the visitors had almost completely neutralized Arsenal in the first half.
However, Arteta will be pleased with the maturity shown by the Gunners in keeping their composure and finding the breakthrough. In fact, despite defending well, the "Red Devils" did not create any dangerous attacks, except for a header in the 67th minute from Matthijs de Ligt.
Six minutes after the Dutch midfielder's dangerous chance, Saliba scored to close out an easy win for the home team. These 3 points will give Arsenal a lot of motivation in the title race with Liverpool.
Arsenal have a relatively easy schedule until early 2025, with games against Fulham away, Everton at home, Crystal Palace away and Ipswich at home. If they take full advantage of these opportunities to break away, Arsenal will put a lot of pressure on Liverpool at the top of the table.
"We just want to have a chance to win. If we continue to play like this, we will win many games. But now all our attention is on Fulham. We have to go there and prepare well," Arteta added.
