Arsenal improved a lot, Klopp warns

LONDON • With both sides missing a host of players away on Africa Cup of Nations duty, as well as injuries and Covid-19 issues, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is not expecting a repeat of the four-goal thrashing the last time his side hosted Arsenal in November.

The Gunners are smarting from their FA Cup third-round loss to second-tier Nottingham Forest over the weekend, a result that has reignited talk that Mikel Arteta's men are still "soft", despite having shown some improvement this season after climbing to fourth in the English Premier League.

The Reds will be the favourites for the first leg of their delayed League Cup semi-final today, but Klopp is expecting a more competitive encounter as the likes of Mohamad Salah, Naby Keita and Sadio Mane are in Cameroon.

The German received a boost after confirming Alisson Becker and Trent Alexander-Arnold had recovered from their Covid-19 infections and were back in training, leaving only Thiago Alcantara and Divock Origi on the sidelines.

Arsenal have their own absentee problems with Thomas Partey, Mohamed Elneny, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe away, while there are doubts over Emile Smith Rowe, Takehiro Tomiyasu and Granit Xhaka.

None of those players featured in the Forest upset but Klopp will not read too much into that defeat, saying yesterday: "Mikel is doing an exceptional job there, having a lot of young boys in and a front three which is really exciting to watch.

"He has a clear idea, they have improved a lot between then (November) and now. It's a tricky draw."

The first leg was supposed to have been played at the Emirates last week but the ties have been switched around after Liverpool's request to postpone because of Covid-19 reasons was granted.

On the decision, Klopp said: "Of course it makes a difference, with the power Anfield can produce. But we cannot change that. We couldn't play last Thursday, that's why we have to take it like it is."

However, Arteta warned that if Arsenal's situation deteriorates, he may also have to put in a postponement request today.

"In the last week or so, we lost so many players for many reasons and we're trying to adapt to that," the Spaniard said yesterday. "You can never guarantee anything because you know that this changes dramatically in 10 seconds."

While the League Cup represents a chance at silverware, which the visitors have not claimed since 2020, it is more important for Arsenal to finish in the top four to end a five-year exile from the Champions League.

That would help to attract bigger names in the transfer market, like Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic, who has been heavily linked with a move to the Emirates but regardless, Arteta insisted his side still had the appeal.

"Historically this club has always been targeting the best players in the world and the best players in the world were always interested to come here and I can say that situation hasn't changed," he said.

Meanwhile, the Premier League was awarded US$213 million (S$287 million) by London's High Court following the collapse of its broadcast deal with China's PPLive Sports International.

The English top flight terminated its contract with PPLive in September 2020 after the broadcaster, part of the retail group Suning that also owns Serie A club Inter Milan, defaulted on payments due in March and June that year.

Judge Peter Fraser ruled that PPLive owed the Premier League payments of US$210.3 million and US$2.673 million as part of the deal's live action and clips package agreements, respectively, as well as interest.

"The Premier League will robustly enforce its contractual rights when it has no other option available. The league notes the judge's view that PPLive had 'no real prospect of success' defending the claim," the league said.

"The bar is high for a summary judgment application and this decision highlights the strength of the league's case."

PPLive paid around US$700 million for three years of streaming rights from the 2019-20 season, reportedly a marked increase in revenue for the league compared to its previous deal with Beijing-based Super Sports Media.

REUTERS

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