EPL

Klopp full of praise for Arteta as Liverpool boss sees similarities with Arsenal manager

By Sports Desk March 15, 2022

Jurgen Klopp has praised Mikel Arteta's work since taking over at Arsenal, with the Liverpool boss stating that he sees similarities between the Spaniard's tenure and his own start on Merseyside.

The Gunners have overcome a slow start to the 2021-22 campaign to emerge as top-four favourites, having embarked upon a five-game win streak matched by only their rivals near the summit.

Arteta has drawn praise for his dynamic style of football, and speaking ahead of the pair's Premier League clash on Wednesday, Klopp indicated he sees a kindred spirit in his fellow manager.

"I can’t even remember their start [to the season], I just see them playing now," the German stated. "They have a clear structure, clear idea, properly tuned, possession-based, young, full of talent and joy.

"If you go through the line-up there's an experienced striker and then three very exciting young boys and then a bit more experience in the double six and then a pretty inexperienced backline and a young goalkeeper, and that's not with [Emile] Smith Rowe even in, and then on top of the other guys, it’s interesting.

"Other teams will not like it because it's another big name back on track but that's how it looks

"There are similarities [to us], you can say it like this, they're a massive club and qualification for European football in the last few years is not exactly how they wanted it.

"If they get Champions League this year, it will feel as good [as it did] for us the first time. A step in the right direction, an exciting team.

"Arsenal fans, maybe since I was in England it was not always easy for them to enjoy. But they seem to be now and that's exactly how it should be."

Klopp will face a fortress when he travels to north London this week, with Arsenal having lost just once at home in the Premier League since an opening weekend loss to Chelsea.

But he does not yet know whether he'll be able to call upon Mohamed Salah following the latter's injury against Brighton and Hove Albion, though the forward's issue is less serious than feared.

"Mo is a tough cookie," he added. "We were quite lucky with it. It was sore and painful, yesterday a bit less swollen and less painful.

"Now I have got a message that Mo is ready to train and we will see how that looks."

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    Arne Slot envisages "many challenges to come" in Liverpool's Premier League title race, despite his side moving five points clear at the top of the table with victory on Saturday.

    The Reds capitalised on Manchester City's slip at Brighton by taking all three points in a 2-0 win over Aston Villa to establish breathing space at the summit.

    Darwin Nunez gave the hosts the lead at Anfield as he capitalised after a quick counter, before Mohamed Salah did the same six minutes from time to secure all three points.

    While Slot was pleased by the outcome, he is aware the cushion at the top does not guarantee a smooth run in their title challenge.

    "It wasn't easy, like most of our games have been now," he told TNT Sport. "Aston Villa were maybe not as aggressive as we thought they would be.

    "We were patient. One thing they are very good at is set-pieces. In general, we had control over the game and scored from two counter-attacks, which is maybe not what we would expect.

    "If I look at the games that are ahead, they are tough. It will be a tough season in general. Margins are small, we have a margin, but it is small. [There are] many challenges to come for us."

    Slot has got off to a fine start since succeeding Jurgen Klopp as manager at the start of the season, as he became just the fourth manager to win as many as nine of his first 11 Premier League games in charge, after John Gregory, Guus Hiddink, and Carlo Ancelotti.

    Liverpool now have 28 points in the league. They have only previously equalled this total once after 11 games, in their title-winning season of 2019-20 (31). 

    Equally, no manager has ever won more points from their first 11 games in the competition than Slot. The Dutchman is not concerned by totals or margins, however, with his focus remaining on the philosophy he wants to instil at Anfield.

    "As a manager, if you come into a new club, you don't think about how many points after how many games," he told BBC Match of the Day. "You think about changing the style or keeping it as it was.

    "To change the style, you have to do a lot of things on the training ground and in meetings. The only thing I have thought about is how to implement the playing style, and how to make sure the players keep working as hard as they can."

  • Emery demands improvement from Aston Villa Emery demands improvement from Aston Villa

    Unai Emery urged his side to “keep improving” after Saturday's 2-0 defeat at the hands of Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield.

    Aston Villa have now lost four successive games in all competitions for the first time since April 2022.

    They have also lost consecutive league matches for the first time since May 2023, after breakaway goals from Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah sent Arne Slot's team five points clear at the top of the standings.

    Emery was pragmatic in defeat but insisted his side need to up their game if they are to match the levels they set last season.

    "We have to keep improving, recover some players who have just come back after long injuries. Some players are not in the same performance level as last year but today they were a bit better," he told TNT Sports.

    "This year a lot of players have come back from long injuries. We have to try to keep the same positive attitude and mentality and try to accept the results that we have had this week.

    "The league is tight, there are a lot of teams performing very well and we have to accept that we need to improve. We are under our level from last year a little bit but I am still confident."

    Villa have recently seen the return of Tyrone Mings from a long-term injury, but there was further concern for Emery when Jacob Ramsey sustained an apparent hamstring issue late in the first half.

    The Villans did have their chances at Anfield, with Amadou Onana and Diego Carlos forcing good saves out of Caoimhin Kelleher.

    Indeed, Villa posted 1.5 expected goals (xG), compared to Liverpool's 2.02.

    "Liverpool dominated at times but they did not have a lot of clear chances to score," reflected Emery.

    "We did our work and we had the chances to score in the first half, in the second half, and we played more or less in the way I wanted."

    Villa took 12 shots during the match, only two less than Liverpool (14), with an equal number coming from inside the box (nine each).

    They also had shouts for a penalty prior to Liverpool's second goal when Pau Torres went down after he had his shirt pulled in the box, but their appeals were waved away.

    "We have to try to be consistent in how we are building and responding. We have to compete and build a team, but we played the match we planned," Emery said, as reported by the Premier League's official website.

    "We had chances to score, we had one penalty, maybe a potential penalty, for me, it's clear. With VAR, it was not but I have to accept the decision."

    Emery also feels Villa lost to a team that are clear title contenders.

    "They started better than us, they are contenders to win the title, but I think you have to try to get our way, and we are in this process," he said. "I am positive."

  • Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa: Salah stars as Premier League leaders move five points clear Liverpool 2-0 Aston Villa: Salah stars as Premier League leaders move five points clear

    Mohamed Salah played a starring role as Liverpool beat Aston Villa 2-0 at Anfield to move five points clear at the top of the Premier League.

    Arne Slot’s in-form side took full advantage of Manchester City’s defeat at Brighton earlier on Saturday, with Salah scoring one and setting up another to condemn Villa to their second straight league defeat.

    Benefitting from Salah's fantastic work, Darwin Nunez broke the deadlock in the 20th minute, firing home from a tight angle.

    Unai Emery's team did have chances of their own, with Caoimhin Kelleher making brilliant saves to deny Amadou Onana and Diego Carlos, while Villa also had a penalty appeal turned down after a VAR check.

    But Salah ensured the home faithful could relax when he prodded over Emiliano Martinez on the counter in the 84th minute.

    While Liverpool, with nine wins from 11, sit pretty at the top, Villa are in eighth, level on points with Fulham, Arsenal and Chelsea.

    Data Debrief: Nunez and Salah are Slot's deadly duo

    Since the start of 2022-23, only Erling Haaland and Kevin De Bruyne (15) have combined for more Premier League goals than Nunez and Salah (12), who were the difference-makers this time around.

    Salah became the first player to reach double figures for both goals (10) and assists (10) for a big five European League side in all competitions this season. He has now achieved this in each of his last four seasons at Liverpool.

    Nunez, meanwhile, has been involved in 12 goals in his last 16 Premier League starts for Liverpool (eight goals, four assists), including three goals in his last five top-flight starts at Anfield.

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