Jurgen Klopp has claimed that Mikel Arteta is doing a ‘really exceptional’ job at Arsenal, as he told his Liverpool press conference.
The Liverpool boss claimed that Arsenal are playing ‘exciting’ football and Arteta has a ‘clear idea’ in how he wants to play with his young guns.
The last time Arsenal and Liverpool clashed, it was the Merseyside outfit who outclassed them on home soil.
Of course, that was a Premier League encounter and things did get pretty tasty during that game which helped swing the game towards Liverpool’s game direction.
And they will want to repeat that same result ahead of the first leg of their League Cup semi-final clash.
But, before the game, Klopp spoke highly of the man in Arsenal’s dugout and the job he is doing in north London.
“Since then (their PL win over Arsenal), they were in a good moment then,” said Klopp. “But it’s now maybe in an even better moment.
“They play really exciting football. Mikel’s doing a really exceptional job. Having a lot of young boys upfront. Three up front, which they usually play.
“It’s really exciting to watch. Good set-up. A clear idea, so I think they improved a lot between then and now, even if they were already good then. We just played a really good game against them. That’s a tricky draw.”
After Arsenal’s FA Cup defeat, Arteta will want a response from his players, who might just be pretty weak in the middle of the park.
Whilst the Reds are going to be without Mo Salah and Saido Mane, who are on Africa Cup of Nations duty.
Thomas Partey and Mohamed Elneny are also in Cameroon, which makes Arteta’s already young midfield even weaker.
It would become even more problematic if Granit Xhaka can’t make the game, as he faces a late COVID test.
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