Mikel Arteta hopes his Arsenal team can match Arsene Wenger's expectations for this season, as the Gunners great believes his former side have "a good chance" to win the Premier League title.
Arsenal are top after eight matches of the season, a point ahead of champions Manchester City.
Arteta's men may well have been removed from the summit by the time they play again, though, facing Liverpool on Sunday after City play Southampton on Saturday.
Despite City's own imperious form, three-time title-winning manager Wenger told Sky Sports he did not see "any super dominating team", prompting his optimism for Arsenal to claim a first championship since his last success in the 2003-04 campaign.
Responding to Wenger's thoughts ahead of the Liverpool game, Arteta, who played under the Frenchman, said: "Well, it's great obviously that the people who love the club so much and know the club very well have such an opinion about it.
"Now, unfortunately, we have to show it, but you have to do it on the pitch. And hopefully, he's right. He's been right on many occasions."
Arsenal certainly look in better shape than opponents Liverpool, who enter the weekend down in ninth, 11 points off the pace with a game in hand.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has suggested the Reds are a work in progress, but Arteta responded: "Our team is as well.
"I think you always want to get better. You always hear about the weaknesses that you want to improve. Liverpool are a magnificent team."
Indeed, even with Liverpool struggling, Arteta sees this match as a major challenge for his side.
"Every game is the same [opportunity to make a statement]," he said. "Obviously, it's a big match.
"It's a fixture that everybody's looking for, against an opponent that has shown in the last five or six years the level that they have.
"And we have to show those opponents again that we have reached the level and we are ready to compete against them."
Burnley give survival hopes a boost with win at Sheffield United
Burnley ran out 4-1 winners at Sheffield United in the battle of the bottom two to throw themselves a Premier League lifeline.
Jacob Bruun Larsen and Lorenz Assignon struck in the space of two minutes and against the run of play at the end of the first half, before the Blades threatened a comeback when Gus Hamer pulled one back early in the second.
But further goals from Lyle Foster and substitute Johann Berg Gudmundsson crushed the Blades’ hopes as Burnley maintained their late bid for survival.
Vincent Kompany’s side have now taken 10 points from their last seven matches and climbed to within three points of 17th-placed Nottingham Forest, who play at relegation rivals Everton on Sunday.
Blades boss Chris Wilder said this week he wanted his side to extend their survival fight for as long as possible and they created the better first-half chances.
Oli McBurnie’s close-range effort was well saved by Burnley goalkeeper Arijanet Muric, who rescued his side again when parrying Ben Brereton Diaz’s shot.
McBurnie’s rising drive then drew another save from Muric, but against the run of play, the visitors struck twice in two minutes as the interval approached to stun Bramall Lane.
Wilson Odobert’s weaving run to the edge of the area had the Blades back-pedalling and when his blocked shot rebounded to Bruun Larsen, the latter’s low scuffed effort deflected off Jayden Bogle and span inside the near post.
Blades goalkeeper Ivo Grbic had been caught off balance by the ricochet and he was left flat-footed again two minutes later.
Assignon darted in between Ben Osborn and Brereton Diaz on the right edge of the area and his toe-poked shot went through Auston Trusty’s legs and flew high into the net off Grbic’s out-stretched boot for his first Burnley goal.
The Blades went close to reducing their two-goal deficit at the start of the second period when James McAtee’s goalbound shot was brilliantly saved by Muric and the hosts were back in it in the 52nd minute.
Hamer cut inside Assignon on the left edge of the area and curled a superb right-footed finish inside the far post.
Muric denied Brereton Diaz an equaliser with another top-class save before the home side’s fightback hopes were dealt a mighty blow.
Assignon marauded down the right and picked out Foster with a low ball into the box and the striker made no mistake from six yards.
McBurnie fired narrowly wide as the Blades continued to press forward, but they were stung again in the 71st minute when Gudmundsson curled home a fine finish less than a minute after stepping off the bench to replace Vitinho.
Gudmundsson then rattled a post and with Blades fans leaving in their hordes, the Clarets comfortably saw out just their second win of the year.
Derby on verge of promotion after beating Cambridge
Derby moved to the brink of promotion to the Championship after a 1-0 win at Cambridge.
Nathaniel Mendez-Laing’s goal shortly before half-time leaves Paul Warne’s side needing one point at home to bottom club Carlisle next weekend to go up.
Cambridge will be safe if they win either of their two remaining games, or if Cheltenham fail to win both of theirs.
U’s keeper Will Mannion tipped Louie Sibley’s corner onto the bar early on, while at the other end Joe Wildsmith saved well from Macauley Bonne in the 15th minute.
Mendez-Laing nearly scored in spectacular style after 38 minutes, seeing his superb curler from nearly 30 yards come back off the bar, but he only had to wait a few seconds before putting the Rams ahead.
Sibley played Mendez-Laing in behind the defence, and he rounded keeper Mannion outside the box before firing into an empty net.
Cambridge came on strong after the break, with Jordan Cousins firing just wide from distance and Ryan Bennett seeing a shot blocked.
Lincoln come from behind to beat struggling Cheltenham and move into the top six
Lincoln moved into the play-off places with a 2-1 win at Cheltenham, whose League One future is now hanging by a thread.
The Imps have been resurgent under boss Michael Skubala, but they had to come from behind to take the points.
Cheltenham led through Liam Sercombe’s early penalty, but Joe Taylor levelled before half-time and Freddie Draper won it seven minutes after the break.
A midweek win at Burton had kept Cheltenham’s survival hopes alive and their chances of avoiding the drop improved when Jordan Thomas was tripped by Danny Mandroiu in the box. Sercombe stepped up to fire home from the spot in the 15th minute for his 11th goal of the season.
Lincoln responded well and Taylor’s superb run down the left was eventually stopped in the box, but the ball found its way back to him and he applied a clinical finish in the 40th minute for his 22nd goal of the campaign.
Luke Southwood saved from Alex Mitchell early in the second half and also kept out an effort from Ben House, but he could do nothing to prevent Draper from scoring with a low finish in the 52nd minute.
James Olayinka saw a late effort blocked for Cheltenham and their defeat left them five points from safety with two games to play.
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