The new Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is well aware that Arsenal play the possession football that he wants his own team to play, but realises that it is too early to try and match them at their own game and instead is working out a plan to stop the Gunners taking control of the game tomorrow night.
“Arsenal and Arsene [Wenger] have their own style,” Klopp said. “It’s possession football, so it’s clear that if we want to play the same way we will be without a chance because they’ve been doing it for longer.
“Arsenal are not only a good possession team, that’s the problem; they have good counter attacks too and that’s what you have to be aware of. It’s a job but it’s a really nice job to think about solutions and how to stop them coming through with their plan. I like things like this.”
“It’s always a big challenge to play against a club like Arsenal,” he continued. “But if we have shown something over the past weeks and months, it is that we have a plan against good football playing teams.
“We haven’t had consistency in performances but Stoke away was a good sign of what my team is capable of.”
I don’t think that Klopp has any choice but to play a defensive game considering the amount of injuries he already has, and he has now ruled out Daniel Sturridge as well, who was supposed to be fit for this game. Even under Brendan Rodgers Liverpool managed to draw 0-0 at the Emirates earlier in the season, so we will have to expect another very tight game at Anfield.
1-0 to the Arsenal?