(Photo) Liverpool fans at Anfield show Mikel Arteta no mercy with six-word banner taunt | OneFootball

Some Liverpool fans at Anfield seized their opportunity to pile on the agony for Mikel Arteta this afternoon!

Arsenal are on Merseyside to take on the Premier League champions, giving their hosts a guard of honour prior to kick-off, with the Gunners once again left to wonder what might’ve been for them this season.

The two clubs’ respective fan bases have never been slow to taunt one another on social media throughout the campaign, and after the Spaniard made some bizarre comments in midweek regarding the Reds’ league-winning points tally, he could expect a frosty reception in L4.

Liverpool fans unfurl comical Arteta banner

Prior to the match, a banner was unfurled in the Kop with a rather unflattering depiction of Arteta, as shared on X (formerly Twitter) by @SamueILFC.

It showed a caricature of the Arsenal manager in a bridal outfit holding a bouquet of flowers, along with the caption ‘Always the bridesmaid, never the bride’.

Another standout feature was two Liver birds perched on footballs alongside the number 2 to create a visible ’20’, an obvious reference to the Reds’ record-equalling number of top-flight titles.

Arteta shown no mercy by Liverpool fans!

For a generation of Liverpool supporters, today is the first time that they’d have attended a match at Anfield with their team as reigning champions, barring three fixtures in December 2020 when a couple of thousands fans were allowed into the stadium during a brief lifting of pandemic restrictions.

It was therefore inevitable that they’d lap up the chance to revel in their status as league winners, and conveniently it’s their nearest challengers who provide the opposition today, so a few taunts towards the visitors were to be expected.

Those responsible for the Arteta banner certainly made the most of their opportunity to stick the boot into the Arsenal boss, who’s failed to win a trophy at the Emirates Stadium for the fifth season in a row.

While the Gunners are left to wonder what might’ve been, Liverpool fans can simply enjoy the rest of this season – and plenty at Anfield are clearly doing just that!