Arsenal head to the Riverside this Saturday lunchtime knowing that they’ve only beaten Boro once in their last six head-to-heads.

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has dismissed a report claiming he said his side were not strong enough to win the Premier League.

A story on Friday claimed Benitez downplayed Liverpool’s chances of winning the Premier League and suggested that they could only win the trophy if Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal all faltered.

Benitez has moved quickly to reject the talk by saying the report has been distorted.

“We are really pleased because we are top and I can guarantee that if we are still top of the table after Christmas we will have a clear chance of winning the title,” insisted Benitez.

“It was an interview with a French journalist and we were talking about tactics. I was really surprised with the story but everyone in Liverpool knows about this newspaper.

“We are at the top of the table because we are doing things better than the others. It is up to us and that is it.”

Arsenal head to the Riverside this Saturday lunchtime knowing that they’ve only beaten Boro once in their last six head-to-heads.

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