Arsenal boss Arteta expects ‘jungle’ atmosphere at Anfield
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta expects the atmosphere away to Liverpool today to be like a “jungle”.
Arsenal last won at Anfield in 2012 and before their last league visit Arteta played ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ on a sound system at the training ground, BBC Sport reported.
The Gunners lost 4-0 that day but will return to Anfield eight points clear at the top of the Premier League.
“You cannot train the players in the zoo and then go to the jungle on Sunday,” said Arteta.
“It’s impossible. You have to expose yourself. You have to prepare the players. You have to tell them what they’re going to be facing and you have to recognise that.”
The Spaniard added: “The team is full of enthusiasm and positivity.
“We know that we have a big challenge but it is a big opportunity to go to Anfield and do something we haven’t done in many years and that is what [has been] driving the team the last few days.”
During the first half of Arsenal’s last league trip to Anfield in November 2021 Arteta and Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp were booked for clashing on the touchline with the score at 0-0.
Asked if he would react in that manner again, Arteta said: “I reacted to defend our players the best possible way but I don’t like seeing myself like this so hopefully not.
“It happens in football and after that we hugged each other and moved on. The last time we were together nothing happened.
Liverpool have challenged for the Premier League title in three of the past four seasons, winning it for the first time in 2020, but this term they are well off the pace in eighth place.
The Reds are 29 points behind leaders Arsenal having lost nine times in 28 matches. They have not lost more league games in any of Klopp’s six full seasons in charge.
“It is one of these moments where it is really not good,” Klopp said. “You get in this whirlwind and it sucks you in that direction and all of a sudden it’s like ‘Wow, where are we?’
“[But] I am not a worse manager than last year, definitely not. It doesn’t mean the outcome is good enough, not at all. But I’m not worse.
“And the players are not worse players. They’ve just played worse. That’s definitely the case.”