Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger believes his side has to get-off to a jump start in the beginning of a busy February month, which starts with a trip to Liverpool on Saturday.
The Gunners will be at Anfield in the weekend, the first of a hectic line-up of top bill fixtures, which ends with Bayern Munich’s visit to the Emirate Stadium in the European Champions League a fortnight’s time.
“Saturday is a good moment for us to win a big game because we have a big month ahead,” Wenger said in his pre-match press conference.
The game at Liverpool will be followed with a game against league champions Manchester United at home and an FA Cup Fifth Round tie against the ‘Reds’ at the Emirate Stadium.
Liverpool are eight points adrift of Arsenal with 47 points. They lost 2-0 in their last league meeting on November 2, 2013.
However, the Frenchman, 64, insists a lot has changed since then. He believes the ‘Reds’ have built a “momentum”, going into the crucial match but stressed they have to maintain theirs in a bid to keep the league bragging right, after they must have played five times in the space of fourteen days.
“When you’re in a good position to fight for something of course the closer you get to the end the more every game becomes vital,” Wenger said. “In a cup game it’s decisive but in the Premiership now every point is important so it’s a massive month for us.
“We did fight very hard until now to be in this position so let’s just enjoy it and give our best. I’m sure we will.
“Mentally we are prepared and we have shown a great response throughout the season when we had difficulties. Physically we are prepared as well.
“It depends how many injuries we have because we need to rotate and it’s important that we have as many players available as we can.
Big injuries can of course question the end of the season.”
The North Londoners were knocked out of Europe last season by current champions and their last 16 foe Bayern Munich, but managed to secure a rare away victory at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern have grown from strength to strength this season but the Arsenal boss, who admitted he does keep track with their progress, says he would worry about them later.
“We have gone for a policy that is to just take care of the next game, because the confidence level is so important to go into the big games that you want to build your strength up by winning every single game. That’s just what we want to do,” he added on changing focus from the Premier League to Europe.
“After, we don’t really look at what kind of competition it is at the moment, because we know, in the situation we are in, the most important thing is to win our next game.
England midfielder, Jack Wilshere, 22, could be back in contention for Saturday’s trip to Liverpool, after missing two matches with ankle injury and Mikel Arteta, who was limping at the end of the 2-0 win against Crystal Palace last Sunday is “alright”, says Wenger.
