The Emirates Stadium is set to host a Premier League showdown this Thursday as league leaders Arsenal welcome defending champions Liverpool.
While the Gunners sit comfortably at the top, 14 points clear of the Reds, the buildup has been dominated by a defiant message from the Liverpool camp.
Mikel Arteta’s side may be the runaway favorites to lift the trophy this May, but Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai has moved quickly to remind them that the crown still resides at Anfield, for now.
Dominik Szoboszlai sends warning to Arsenal
Despite Liverpool’s difficult defense of their title, Szoboszlai refused to feed into the narrative that Arsenal are champions-in-waiting.
When asked if Liverpool will be facing the champions to be, the Hungarian captain offered a sharp correction, reminding the media of the actual current hierarchy.
The Hungarian midfielder told Sky Sports:
“The Premier League is not easy. You don’t win it by January, so I don’t think we are playing against the champions. They’re playing against the champions.”
?? “You don’t win it by January”
Dominik Szoboszlai says Arsenal are not ‘the champions’ yet, with the season far from over ? pic.twitter.com/YdTGEFuENy
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) January 7, 2026
His comments shows his incredible mindset, one perhaps Arne Slot needs to take lessons from.
Arne Slot’s recent post-match remarks have drawn criticism from sections of the fanbase, with some claiming the Liverpool manager has begun to accept mediocrity amid the club’s inconsistent form.
Liverpool’s dramatic Premier League decline under the spotlight
The context of Szoboszlai’s defiance highlights just how stark Liverpool’s drop-off has been.
After securing the Premier League title in the 2024/25 campaign, and spending half a billion on incredible players in the summer, few predicted the Reds would find themselves fighting merely for a top-four spot halfway through the 2025/26 season.
Currently sitting in 4th place and trailing Arsenal by a massive double-digit margin, Liverpool’s title defence has been derailed by poor tactics and inconsistency. Critics have even called it a loss of identity under Arne Slot.
To go from lifting the trophy to trailing the leaders by 14 points in January is a collapse rarely seen in modern Premier League history, making Thursday’s match less about a title race and more about pride and cementing Champions League qualification.
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