Liverpool face Arsenal test

Liverpool’s faltering Premier League title challenge could suffer a fatal blow if leaders Arsenal win Sunday’s marquee match-up at the Emirates Stadium.

Jurgen Klopp said Friday that Liverpool must rediscover their unpredictability after a disappointing start to the season and expressed his belief that misfiring striker Darwin Nunez has a bright future at the club.

The 2020 Premier League champions have won just two of their opening seven games in the English top flight and are already 11 points behind leaders Arsenal, their opponents on Sunday.

Liverpool manager Klopp deviated from his established 4-3-3 system to play 4-2-3-1, or 4-4-2, in Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League victory over Scottish side Rangers.

He was asked at his pre-match press conference on Friday whether that was the blueprint for the future.

“For us, it is much more important that we become unpredictable again and we need different systems for that,” he said.

“This is not the only system we can play. It was now a 4-4-2. Always when you name systems, it’s ‘Is it 4-3-3 or is it 4-5-1? Is it 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1?’ 

“We don’t want to make it more complicated than it is, but there are obviously different systems for us available and we have to choose from now on which one is the best for the next opponent, or the best for us in the moment. 

“We have to be more unpredictable, definitely

Hampered by an unusually sluggish start, Jurgen Klopp’s side are already 11 points behind Arsenal and can ill-afford to fall further adrift.

“It’s something to look forward to. They (Arsenal) are in a fantastic moment but if you look at our results in the Premier League I think no one would give us a chance there,” said defender Van Dijk.

“But we know what we are capable of, we know what is expected. They are in the best moment of their lives, full of confidence, and it’s a big game.”

Arsenal have only beaten Liverpool once in the Premier League since 2015.

But the roles of recent years are reversed going into this weekend’s clash with Liverpool having won just two of their opening seven league games of the season to already leave their title challenge hanging by a thread.

Arteta, though, insisted Arsenal have to match the levels they reached in beating Tottenham 3-1 last weekend to maintain a one-point lead over Manchester City at the top of the table.

“What they have done in the last five years doesn’t need any presentation,” added Arteta.