Goalkeeper Bernd Leno says Arsenal’s performance against Liverpool shows they can play with the Premier League’s best teams.
The Gunners drew 1-1 against Jurgen Klopp’s side on Saturday after Alexandre Lacazette’s late goal cancelled out a strike by James Milner in a crowd-pleasing heavyweight clash at the Emirates.
It was Arsenal’s first point against a top-four rival this season after opening the campaign with losses to Manchester City and Chelsea,
Asked by reporters what Saturday’s test meant for the club, Leno said: “That we can take on the big ones. That we can dominate the big ones.
“I believe we were the better side today and that’s how we must continue. We have difficult matches ahead of us. Wolves next week, probably a whole different match. But you could see that they recognise what we play. Liverpool had a lot of respect. They didn’t dare to go all in on the pressing. I believe this, in any case, must give us courage.”
Coach Unai Emery said he felt the display was a big step forward for his side.
“Today was a test of how we are against a team like Liverpool. After City, after Chelsea, maybe today we are more near in our performance to be in front of them. But we need this quality in every match,” Emery said.
“Of these three matches [against top teams], I think today is a more complete game for us. … We need more. We need more in our work, tactically also. But today the spirit is like the spirit we want. And the atmosphere today is a very big atmosphere. The supporters were pushing for 90 minutes, today I think was a good spectacle for every supporter, for them, for us, and also for football.”
Arsenal shook off their habit of getting off to slow starts in games as they came out attacking from the start and had the lion’s share of chances in the first half — although Liverpool often looked dangerous on counters and hit the post through Virgil van Dijk before the break, while Sadio Mane’s goal was questionably ruled out for offside.
After shaky goalkeeping from Leno allowed Milner to put the visitors ahead, substitute Alex Iwobi helped Arsenal fight back as he set up Lacazette’s goal with a clever through-ball.
Of the Liverpool goal, Leno, whose diving intervention of a dangerous cross placed the ball at Milner’s feet,: “It’s a bit unfortunate. For a goalie it’s a bit like getting the s— of the stick. You stay away, the guy at the back scores, maybe nobody will blame you. If you go into it and the one in the middle scores, all say parry in another way.
“It’s not that easy in this situation because I completely tried to get there. You can’t really say where it’ll go, and then the ball falls flat on Milner’s feet. And that’s the goal.”
Leno called the pulsating encounter a “wicked match” that lived up to his image of Premier League football and credited Arsenal supporters for their part in the home side’s coming-from-behind effort.
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