Arsenal have started the season incredibly well, with Mikel Arteta's side sitting top of the Premier League after eight games played. The Gunners' most recent outing was the North London Derby victory over Tottenham, which ended 3-1 thanks to goals from Thomas Partey, Gabriel Jesus and Granit Xhaka.
The game against Antonio Conte's side was a tricky one, but this weekend's clash against Liverpool will be a much tougher test. Jurgen Klopp has taken the Reds to extraordinary heights, winning the Premier League in 2019/20 and the FA Cup and Carabao Cup last term. Throw on top of that three Champions League finals in five years and it's not bad going.
But Liverpool have started the 2022/23 season poorly and currently sit ninth in the Premier League table. Arsenal have more than double the points than the Reds and go into Sunday afternoon's clash at the Emirates Stadium hoping to heap further misery on the Merseysiders.
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Interestingly, Klopp appears to be a big fan of this Arsenal team and the work Arteta is doing in north London. Speaking ahead of the clash between the two sides in March earlier this year, the German described the Gunners as a "massive club" and "exciting team".
"I can’t even remember their start [to the season], I just see them playing now," Klopp said. "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's verdict of this young Arsenal side has been proven right considering the Gunners currently sit top of the Premier League table. The outcome of Sunday's highly anticipated clash will determine whether that remains the case.
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