Arsenal Never Want To Play Liverpool: Unai Emery

Unai Emery jokingly admitted on Saturday that Arsenal might not be too eager to play Liverpool.

The Gunners are set to go up against Jurgen Klopp’s side next weekend at Anfield.

Liverpool finished second in the Premier League by only a point and won the Champions League trophy in June. They are viewed as one of the two most dominant English forces currently next to Manchester City.

It might seem daunting for many teams to go up against the Reds but that should hardly be the case for Arsenal. Said in humour or not, it indirectly reflects the mental capacity the Gunners are currently stuck in.

It is their fourth straight year without Champions League football and Emery has to make up a lot of ground before he can successfully return the club to title-contending ways. The Spaniard is determined to maintain a positive approach.

“For us we don’t want to play against Liverpool ever,” Emery said jokingly. “We’d prefer not to play against them.

“That is really our challenge, a good test. For the supporters, for all of us, going there with six points is good. Really our target is to reduce the distance to Liverpool, Manchester City, Tottenham and Chelsea.

“When we play against them it is a big challenge to show how we can be. Next week is going to be a very good match.

“We are going to prepare first with the adaptation to them, their gameplan and individual players and after to impose our gameplan and capacity. We are going to prepare both defensively and offensively.

“I think first is to be positive in our capacity and then work hard. I know my past is to work hard, the present and future is going to be the same. After we can win, we can lose. But above all is be positive and keep moving ahead.”