Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged his team’s fans to give Arsenal a “real Anfield experience” when the two teams meet in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
Klopp claimed after Wednesday’s 5-1 Carabao Cup quarter-final win over West Ham that he was “not very satisfied with the atmosphere” during the game.
Arteta said, ‘Anfield is different, like Old Trafford. It is an unbelievable place. There are a few in this country. You have to go to these stadiums, and you have to prove as a team what you are capable of. Sometimes, when you don’t feel at your best, you feel that they are on top of you, and you cannot get out of that washing machine.’
When asked how his players can avoid getting in the ‘washing machine’, he said, ‘(Follow) the game plan and what we discussed and put on our washing machine. That is very powerful. The emotional state is crucial when you play against big opponents away.’
Meanwhile, Klopp believes Arsenal is a better team than the one that almost missed out on the title last season. ‘We play a super-strong squad that played incredibly well last season and is much better this year,’ Klopp added.
‘They are difficult to play, a good mix between physicality, technique, and organization—they’re well coached, and every year they make another step.’
Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold agreed, saying: “Arsenal have gone up a level this season. They’re consistent and winning in a controlled manner. It’s different from how we are winning a lot of games.
“A couple of ours have been last-minute, or when we were down to 10 men. They are a young, exciting team that probably lacked experience last year.
“That’s quite similar to what we were like in that season, when we were pipped to the title by Manchester City by one point. Those experiences teach you a lot.”
