‘They Know’—Liverpool Star Warns Arsenal Ahead of Heavyweight Showdown

The current Premier League champions are looking to send a message.

Dominik Szoboszlai (centre) was the match winner when Liverpool beat Arsenal in August. / Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images

Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai has warned Arsenal that they still have a long way to go before they can be considered Premier League champions.

The Gunners sit five points clear at the top of the standings and are looking to stretch their lead to eight points after Manchester City slipped up against Brighton & Hove Albion on Wednesday—a result that marked their third successive draw in the Premier League. To do that, however, Arsenal will have to go through Liverpool.

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Both sides enter the fixture under immense pressure. While Arsenal are looking to assert themselves as the dominant force in English football, Liverpool are looking to reassert their authority after a miserable run of form between September and November all but ended their chances of retaining their title.

Speaking to Sky Sports, midfielder Szoboszlai, who has played in a number of different roles for Arne Slot during 2025–26, reminded Arsenal that it is they who are facing the Premier League champions on Thursday, not the other way around.

“It’s a long way,” Szoboszlai said. “The Premier League is not easy and you don’t win it by January, I don’t think so [playing against the champions]. They are playing against the champions. They know as well, they are one of the favourites and an unbelievable team with unbelievable players.

“They can’t forget about [Manchester] City and [Aston] Villa, they are doing really well. No, we don’t play against the champions; they are playing against the champions.”

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Szoboszlai: Liverpool Need Win Over Arsenal

Szoboszlai is braced for a huge fixture. / MB Media/Getty Images

In terms of the Premier League standings, the stakes are highest for Liverpool. Having played one game fewer than those sides around them, Slot’s team sit fourth in the table, nine points adrift of Aston Villa but just one ahead of fifth-placed Brentford. Sunderland, in 10th, are only four points away from Liverpool.

Szoboszlai is well aware that Liverpool have tumbled into a different kind of fight this season and admitted they can no longer focus on anything other than winning the next game in front of them—starting with Arsenal.

“It’s crazy because if I go back to last year, by February we were 10 points clear and I was still saying we have not won it yet,” he said. “But inside, I was like, this is the chance.

“Now probably, because we are so many points behind, we can’t think long term. Dream, we can talk about it, but we have to think game by game and have to perform to show we can even be in the top four. We need things to go our way, why not?

“Last year when the manager came in, no one was thinking we had a chance to win it, but then we started very well and we kept on going.

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Liverpool Can’t Look Too Far Ahead

Arne Slot’s looking to rebuild confidence and belief. / Fabrizio Carabelli/SOPA Images/LightRocket/Getty Images

“If you asked anybody, they wouldn’t think we could win and the chances were small. Now, we started good and the luck was on our side, but it showed we are ready again. Sometimes comes a little hit and you don’t react as you should, you saw it last season with City.

“Now you have to realise what you are aiming for. Game by game as we cannot look long term.

“It’s very tough, but different at other teams. It is what you want, actually. This is why you come here and play for the biggest clubs in the world, for the pressure. Whether you are winning or losing. We have to handle this.

“It is not my job to say it [what Liverpool need to fix]. We have so many people in the club to find solutions and they will, I’m pretty sure. Every player has a couple things that they are thinking, but they will keep it to themselves. We are going to grow as a group because we are Liverpool, we are the champions of England.”

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