Jurgen Klopp talked of a real advantage for Arsenal as his Liverpool side prepares to take on the Gunners. It’ll be ‘a tough one’.
Liverpool travel down to London tomorrow to take on Arsenal in one of the biggest games this season. After all, Manchester City just dropped points at Crystal Palace, opening the door for the Reds.
They now sit four points behind City with a game in hand. It’s technically in Liverpool’s hand as much as City’s, given they’ve got to play one another, but there’s a clear difference in fixtures.
Liverpool do have tougher games to play and one of those undoubtedly comes at the Emirates. If Liverpool are dropping points, games at the Emirates and the Etihad feel like the most likely places.
Part of that is Arsenal’s fantastic form. They’ve won several on the bounce now and look like a top-four side for the first time in years. There is another factor here, though, and Jurgen Klopp pointed it out on Tuesday.
“They are much more rested than we are, obviously,” he told a press conference. “We are in a very intense period. I heard that since we last played, we’ve played 12 games, they’ve played six – oops!
“We feel all these games, that’s how it is. We try to fix it by making changes but all the players have rest. It’s a tough one tomorrow night but we’re still looking forward to it.”
Klopp is right, of course. Arsenal have the ‘benefit’ of focusing entirely on the Premier League and that does help a team. Not only through rest but preparation between games.
Liverpool saw that well back in 2013/14, in fact, as a lack of European competition benefitted the Reds and they mounted a title challenge. Why you’d pick European football every time, the extra rest helps in the league.
And so Arsenal do come into this with a level of fitness that Liverpool likely lack. It’s an advantage – there’s no denying that.
But it’s not one that Liverpool can call an excuse. After all, they’re actively competing on three fronts and trying to win four trophies this season. That will bring fatigue and you’ve got to prepare for it.
Fortunately, Liverpool largely have. Their attack, in particular, is stronger than ever – as is centre-back, for that matter. The Reds have enough players to cover the extra football.
So while Arsenal will be fresher at the Emirates, we’ll still back Liverpool to find a way to overcome it.
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