‘Liverpool are a very good example for us’
Arsenal manager Emery says today’s opponents show the way for his team, writes Sam Dean
In times of difficulty for Arsenal, when results are going against them and the Premier League mountain appears an impossibly perilous climb, they look towards Liverpool as proof that it can be done. In so many areas, today’s opponents are a reference point for Arsenal and for Unai Emery, who sees Liverpool’s progress on and off the field under Jurgen Klopp as the blueprint which his side must follow.
In Emery’s words, Liverpool’s journey in the past four years sets a “very good example” for Arsenal. They are proof that you do not need the bottomless pockets of Manchester City to move up in the world, provided you have a defined style, a competitive spirit and a shrewd approach to off-field business.
The similarities between Emery’s Arsenal and the early years of Klopp’s reign are hard to ignore. In Klopp’s first season, Liverpool finished outside the top four and lost in the final of the Europa League. Emery’s Arsenal did the same. On his arrival in 2015, Klopp inherited an imbalanced squad packed with defenders who were prone to moments of calamity. Emery had the same when he arrived in north London last summer. Both managers tried to instill a high-energy, pressing style and neither was able to do so with immediate effect.
It goes on. Both managers, for example, came into clubs where the relationship between the fans and the American owners was strained. It feels like a long time ago now but it should not be forgotten that, in Klopp’s first season, thousands of Liverpool fans walked out of a match against Sunderland in protest against owners who were making decisions – on ticket prices in this case – “based purely on economics”. Such complaints will feel familiar to Arsenal supporters, many of whom voiced their frustration with the Stan Kroenke ownership this summer.
Klopp needed time, and a few transfer windows, to make Liverpool his own. Emery will require the same, and he has asked for patience despite a transfer window – and a winning start to the season – which has ignited a sense of genuine excitement among the fans.
“Liverpool is a very good example,” Emery said. “They have a very strong style and their mentality is very, very strong. They are adding titles. We are on our way to creating a big mentality. We also need time. They have an advantage on us in this way, but I really appreciate their work. Their performance is amazing, their spirit and quality also. They are a team that can feel strong. I want to create our mentality, our style, and get stronger in our way little by little. And each match is a very big opportunity to show how we are.
“Saturday is a massive match, an amazing opportunity for us to do something important, knowing it is going to be difficult, but really we can say, ‘We are here’.”
A win at Anfield, where Arsenal have lost their past three matches by an aggregate score of 12-2, would be an eye-opener for both teams and the rest of the league. A draw would also be a major statement, given their 5-1 thrashing in Liverpool in December last year.
The contest may come down to a battle between the two front threes, with Liverpool’s Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah taking on Pierreemerick Aubameyang, Alexandre Lacazette and – if he starts – Nicolas Pepe. But there are intriguing duels across the pitch, and it is imperative for Arsenal that their young players continue to make an impact. Ainsley Maitlandniles (21), Reiss Nelson (19), Joe Willock (20) and Matteo Guendouzi (20) all started in Arsenal’s victories over Newcastle and Burnley. Anfield represents a different test but Emery has been delighted with the “energy” and “power” the youngsters have brought to his side. Indeed, one of the head coach’s most excitable moments on the touchline this season came when Willock lost the ball against Newcastle but then sprinted towards his own goal to win it back with a sliding tackle.
Such battling qualities are synonymous with Klopp’s side and Emery is desperate to instil the same competitiveness. He wants them to be tough and intense and knows he may need this youthful exuberance if Arsenal are to avoid being blown apart again at Anfield.
“We are using young players,” Emery said. “They are coming, in the near future, to be very big players. The young players, they are giving us a lot of energy – a lot of power in their wish to achieve and help us. We want to do it this way, with that spirit.”