Ahead of the EPL clash, Jurgen Klopp comes for Arsenal

The Gunners will on Sunday be gunning for another three points as they host Liverpool at the Emirates stadium in their bid to maintain their position at the top of the EPL table.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has meanwhile, taken a subtle dig at the north London club over their summer mega acquisition Gabriel Jesus as the German hinted that Arsenal were only able to sign the Brazilian because City didn’t consider them a genuine threat to their status as Premier League champions.

National Daily recalls that Jesus left the Etihad Stadium in the summer after four-and-a-half trophy-laden years in search of a fresh challenge and the opportunity to relaunch his career as a conventional No.9.

Jesus moved to the Emirates from Manchester City this summer

The 25-year-old has subsequently thrived in a central striking role and been rejuvenated as the jewel in the Arsenal crown, leading from the front and spearheading a side that appears to have a genuine title aspirations.

Meanwhile, the Brazil international was believed to be attracted by Arsenal’s London rivals Tottenham and Chelsea in the summer, but City eventually struck a £45million deal with the Gunners, in part, due to their relationship with Arteta and the player’s close bond with technical director Edu.

However, Klopp had another theory, saying:  ‘I don’t know Gabriel on a personal basis but I always liked him as a player.

‘I know City would not have sold him to every club but to Arsenal, the distance was big enough.’

Klopp, with a trademark smile on his face, quickly suggested he meant the gap he was referring to was a ‘geographical’ before waxing lyrical about a player who has scored five goals already this season.

He said: ‘Exceptional player, you always saw that when he played for City.

‘The Gabriel Jesus role at City was a nine, a winger, last year everybody said City had no No.9, he was still there but he played obviously from the wing and now he can play his role.

‘If anybody knew how good he could be, not in a Man City shirt, in a fixed No.9 role then it was Mikel because he worked with him, same with Zinchenko.’

Arsenal head into the fixture as firm favourites and could end the weekend an almost unimaginable 14 points clear of Liverpool, but Arteta has warned his side they will need to up their level even if their opponents have been nowhere near their best this season.

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‘It is a really exciting game against one of the top opponents in this league,’ said Arteta. ‘It will be a really demanding match that is going to require us to be at our best.

‘It is a fixture that everybody is looking for against an opponent that has shown the level they have in the last five and six years.

‘We have to show we have raised our level and are able to compete.’