Arsenal midfielder Jorginho has claimed that his side's favourable run of home fixtures over the festive period could help them in the Premier League title race with Liverpool.
The Gunners trampled over West Ham United in a dominant first-half display at the London Stadium on Saturday evening, racing into a 5-2 lead before the interval. Arsenal preserved that scoreline to move up to second place in the Premier League table, nine points behind a near-faultless Liverpool.
There are still 25 top flight matches and 75 points available, but each team's title resolve will be tested over the next month. Arsenal and Liverpool both have nine fixtures before there is a brief week-and-a-half hiatus in the Premier League scheule for FA Cup third ties.
Mikel Arteta's side are treated to a run of four home outings over the next five games, starting with Wednesday's visit from Manchester United. The north London outfit don't actuall venture outside the capital until making the 50-mile trip south to Brighton on 4 January.
By comparison, only one of Liverpool's next six matches is at Anfield - a league meeting with Fulham on 14 December, putting considerably more travel miles on the clock.
When presented with these contrasting schedules after the 5-2 win in east London, Jorginho told assembled reporters: "I think it might help. But we need to be ready for anything and trying to win in any context. We need to try and use our strength at home to win as much as possible."
Arsenal are one of only three Premier League clubs yet to lose at home this season. When the Gunners endured a wobble in form between the October and November international breaks, all three loses came on the road.
Arteta was confident that Arsenal's title bid remained intact before watching his side punish West Ham's woeful defending. The Spanish coach insisted that it will be "extremely difficult" for Liverpool to maintain their stellar form
"Suddenly when you think you have it, one day it collapses," he said, from experience. Perhaps this run of away days will prove to be the first obstacle which Arne Slot's side fail to hurdle.
Arsenal's festive fixture list compared to Liverpool
Game number | Arsenal opponent | Liverpool opponent |
|---|---|---|
1 | Man Utd (H) | Newcastle (A) |
2 | Fulham (A) | Everton (A) |
3 | Monaco (H) | Girona (A) |
4 | Everton (H) | Fulham (H) |
5 | Crystal Palace (H) | Southampton (A) |
6 | Crystal Palace (A) | Tottenham (A) |
7 | Ipswich (H) | Leicester (H) |
8 | Brentford (A) | West Ham (A) |
9 | Brighton (H) | Man Utd (H) |
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