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Mikel Arteta has challenged the Arsenal crowd to create a hostile environment to help carry his depleted side against Liverpool at the Emirates on Sunday.
The Gunners bounced back from their surprise defeat against Bournemouth with a 1-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League.
But their preparations for the visit of Arne Slot’s side, who they trail by four points, were dealt a blow when Riccardo Calafiori added his name to an extensive list of players unlikely to be available for the crunch fixture.
The Italian defender was substituted in the second half after he twisted his right knee – an injury Arteta described as “not great news” in the aftermath of the win.
Captain Martin Odegaard and star winger Bukayo Saka watched Arsenal’s victory against Shakhtar from the stands with ankle and hamstring injuries respectively.
William Saliba will serve a suspension against Liverpool following his red card at Bournemouth, while fellow defender Jurrien Timber is a doubt. Kieran Tierney and Takehiro Tomiyasu are also sidelined.
But speaking after his side’s slender triumph on Tuesday night, Arteta said: “It’s always great and important to win in the Champions League.
“We start with the preparations (on Sunday) and the place has to be rocking here against Liverpool to give us all the possible energy that they can.”
In Saka’s absence, Gabriel Jesus was installed on Arsenal’s right-hand side. But the Brazilian missed a golden opportunity to double his side’s advantage on the stroke of half-time. Remarkably, Jesus last scored for the Gunners in a 2-1 win at Nottingham Forest on January 30.
One plus-point for Arteta is the form of Gabriel Martinelli. The 23-year-old winger ended a run of 19 matches without a goal against Leicester last month before scoring in Arsenal’s next league game against Southampton.
On Tuesday, it was his first-half strike which hit the foot of the post before rebounding in off the back of goalkeeper Dmytro Riznyk.
“He looked really sharp, and he looked really fresh as well,” said Arteta of the Brazilian who was introduced in the second half of Arsenal’s defeat at the Viality Stadium.
“He was fresher than anybody on the pitch because he did not start against Bournemouth and you could tell that he was different to the rest, and he had another gear.
“He had another level of threat and he started the game really well. He had a great performance for us.”
