Liverpool can’t outpass Arsenal, Klopp mulls other ploys

REUTERS – Liverpool cannot match Arsenal’s brand of possession football and they will not try that either in Wednesday’s Premier League clash, manager Juergen Klopp has said.

Liverpool have lost three of their last six league matches and are currently eighth going into the match against the table-topping Gunners.

“Arsenal and Arsene (Wenger) have their own style, it’s possession football, so it’s clear that if we want to play the same way we will be without a chance because they’ve been doing it for longer,” Klopp told British media.

The job is not easy for a Liverpool team smarting from Friday’s disappointing 2-2 FA Cup draw with fourth-tier side Exeter City but Klopp was ready for the challenge.

“Arsenal are not only a good possession team, that’s the problem, they have good counter-attacks too and that’s what you have to be aware of.

“It’s a job but it’s a really nice job to think about solutions and how to stop them coming through with their plan. I like things like this.”

Liverpool have sustained multiple injuries in recent weeks and German Klopp, who took over as manager in October, has expressed his concern at the number of matches in December and January.

Wenger said it was only normal for Klopp to complain about the packed fixture list as he used to coach in Germany, where clubs get winter break.

“You get that from everybody who comes to England at the start because you have to adapt to the English style,” Wenger told British media.

“I was like that and I’m still in favour of a winter break – but without losing the traditions of English football.

“I believe that for the Germans they are maybe more surprised as they have a good winter break.”

(Reporting by Shravanth Vijayakumar in Bengaluru; editing by Amlan Chakraborty)