Liverpool can’t take on Arsenal at a possession game – Klopp
LIVERPOOL cannot match Arsenal’s brand of possession football and they will not try that either in today’s Premier League clash, manager Juergen Klopp has said.
Liverpool have lost three of their last six league matches and are currently eighth going into the match against the table-topping Gunners.
“Arsenal and Arsene (Wenger) have their own style, 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,” Klopp said.
The job is not easy for a Liverpool team smarting from Friday’s disappointing 2-2 FA Cup draw with fourth-tier side Exeter City but Klopp was ready for the challenge.
“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.”
Liverpool have sustained multiple injuries in recent weeks and Klopp, who took over as manager in October, has expressed his concern at the number of matches in December and January.
Wenger said it was only normal for Klopp to complain about the packed fixture list as he used to coach in Germany, where clubs get winter break.
“You get that from everybody who comes to England at the start because you have to adapt to the English style,” Wenger said. “I was like that and I’m still in favour of a winter break – but without losing the traditions of English football.
Surprised
“I believe that for the Germans they are maybe more surprised as they have a good winter break.”
Meanwhile, Liverpool have completed the loan signing of defender Steven Caulker from Championship side Queens Park Rangers.
The 24-year-old’s arrival will ease the injury problems Liverpool are facing, with central defenders Mamadou Sakho, Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel all on the sidelines.
Caulker, who spent the first half of this season on loan at Southampton, started his career at Tottenham Hotspur before moving to Cardiff City.
• Everton striker Romelu Lukaku will be fit for today’s Premier League clash against thirdplaced Manchester City, manager Roberto Martinez said yesterday.
Lukaku, who netted the winner in the 2-1 win over City in the first leg of the League Cup semi-final last week, missed Saturday’s 2-0 FA Cup win over fourth-tier side Dagenham and Redbridge with a minor ankle problem.
The Belgium international has been pivotal to Everton this campaign, having scored 15 goals from 20 league starts, the joint-highest in the league along with Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy.
TODAY’S FIXTURES Chelsea vs West Brom, Man City vs Everton, Southampton vs Watford, Stoke vs Norwich, Swansea vs Sunderland, Liverpool vs Arsenal, Tottenham vs Leicester.