Arteta’s Gunners have no fear with the Reds in view
Mikel Arteta wants Arsenal to have no fear when they take on Liverpool this afternoon.
The Gunners’ great start to the new campaign has sent them to the Premier League summit and the feel-good factor at the club continued last weekend with a derby victory over Tottenham.
Liverpool pose the next test for Arteta’s young charges, who have failed to score in any of their past six against Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Recent results between the teams weigh heavily in the favour of the Merseyside outfit, but the Spaniard has the ultimate faith in his talented group of players.
He said: “To win those matches you really need to believe that you can go there and win. If you don’t have that component then you have fear and fear is the worst enemy, especially against the top teams because this is what they use a lot of the time just to win.”
After Arsenal downed rivals Tottenham last Saturday, ex-boss Arsene Wenger tipped his former club to finish second behind Manchester City this season.
It was only last month that Arteta hinted he would like the French great to return to the Emirates in some capacity.
While the 40-year-old insisted they are still trying to bring Wenger back, he joked the comments of his old manager only increase the pressure.
“He’s more than welcome to come back. We are trying, believe me,” added Arteta.
Arsenal could take a big step to finishing above Liverpool this weekend by beating the away side in the capital.
Victory for the Gunners would open up a 14-point gap between the two teams. Arteta admitted: “To be 14 points clear of them, we need to beat them and it will be a difficult thing to do, but we are willing to try.”
Mohamed Elneny (hamstring) and Emile Smith Rowe (groin) remain absent for Arsenal, who are set to recall the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, William Saliba, Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus today. The aforementioned five were named on the bench for the midweek win over Bodo/Glimt.
Elsewhere, Liverpool manager Klopp believes there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about Darwin Nunez’s development. The Uruguay international put in his most encouraging performance in the midweek Champions League victory over Rangers since returning from a red card against Crystal Palace.
While he did not score, having found the net in his first two, Klopp thinks the signs are there that he is getting to grips with his new team following his £64million arrival from Benfica.
“One of the things he showed so far in all the games is that he brings himself quite frequently in good finishing positions,” said Klopp. “That’s why everybody should be, or could be, optimistic about what’s coming from him in the future. That was good.”
Following Tuesday’s win Nunez admitted his adaptation to English football had been difficult with the language barrier still an issue. Klopp has made allowances for the 23-year-old, as he does for all his new signings, but has been impressed by what he has seen from a player who could become the club’s record signing if he fulfils every clause of the deal with Benfica.
Klopp accepts that Nunez’s introduction has not been helped by his side’s stuttering form. “What is the worst situation when you come in as a striker?” he added. “That your team is not playing exceptionally well, because you depend on service.”