The air around Stanley Park can do strange things to people. Just ask Mikel Arteta.
“Emotionally and physically I couldn’t handle it. I’ve only had that feeling once in my career and that was at Anfield,” the Arsenal manager said earlier this season.
It helps explain why Arteta turned to alternative medicine last year as the Gunners prepared for another trip to Merseyside.
To prepare his players for Anfield and the oxygen vacuum it can create for opposition teams, Arteta put on giant loudspeakers and blasted across the fields of London Colney.
A few days later, Arsenal were thrashed 4-0 by Liverpool. They have grown accustomed to the grim return journey.
Last year, Mikel Arteta got involved in a row with Jurgen Klopp before Arsenal lost 4-0
Only five survivors of last season’s defeat at the Merseyside club will start this time around
In the Premier League, they have not won any of their last nine visits, picking up just two points and conceding 32 goals.
Since Jurgen Klopp took charge eight years ago, the aggregate score on Merseyside has now read: Liverpool 25-7 Arsenal.
Should that run continue on Sunday, North London’s buttocks will shake.
Break through that hoodoo though and Arsenal will take another giant leap towards the title.
Easier said than done of course. In recent years at Anfield they have repeatedly been swept up in a Liverpool whirlwind.
Arteta started the last time Arsenal won there in the Premier League. That was in 2012. But he also knows the other side of those trips.
“The game was going well and all of a sudden all I saw was red shirts flying around, the game went over me and I can’t react,” he said. “People said, ‘What is he doing?’ and I’m like “I can’t”.’
That will sound familiar to players from Manchester United, the last visitors to Anfield. That ended 7-0.
Still, this could be Arsenal’s best chance for now. Firstly, Arsenal’s preparations will not be filmed by Amazon cameras.
Another source of optimism? Liverpool’s record since that win over United is four played, none won, only one scored. They are eighth, 29 points behind Arsenal.
Most important of all, however, Arteta and his side have changed.
If all goes well, only five survivors of last season’s defeat at Anfield will start this time around.
Arteta started the last time Arsenal won there in the Premier League. That was in 2012
Liverpool’s record since their win over United is four played, none won, only one scored
“The teams and the players who will be on that field are very different,” he said.
“We have to use it in a positive way for us and give us the belief and energy that we can do it.”
If all goes well, Arteta will not get into another feud with Klopp. The score was goalless as the two managers clashed on the touchline.
Arteta still denies it, but that argument turned out to be a turning point in the 4-0 win.
“I reacted to defend our players as best I could, but I don’t like to see myself that way, so hopefully not.”
This season, the Gunners have the best away record in the division: 34 points from 14 games – seven more than the next best team (Manchester City) – nine clean sheets and only nine goals conceded.
Last year they lost nine of their 19 games along the way.
Arteta’s side has also made a habit of ending hoodoos in recent years. This season they have achieved a first victory at Tottenham’s new ground.
They had already put an end to barren runs at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge under Arteta.
“Something we’ve done for the last two or three years is win in places that the team hasn’t done for years,” he said on Friday.
“They are a great team led by a top manager and they create an incredible atmosphere that makes it very difficult for any opponent… it’s an incredible stadium to play in and a unique experience for any player or manager.”
He added: ‘We are able to do it. We know we have to be at our very best to win the game and certainly better than last year… that’s what we have to prove on Sunday – to go there, perform, be emotionally healthy and do the right things which we must do at any time to get away with the result we want.’