Unai Emery believes Liverpool can serve as a good example to Arsenal on how to develop a ‘strong mentality’ as he practically drools while talking about Jurgen Klopp’s side.

When Jurgen Klopp first arrived at Liverpool they finished outside the top four and lost the Europa League final. Sound familiar? Now, as we know, they are winning Champions Leagues and pushing City to their limits in the Premier League.

It seems Unai Emery is something of a fan, if his comments ahead of the game are anything to go by. If he’s not careful, some people might think he’s a little in awe of the Anfield outfit, especially after his ‘joke’ that he didn’t want to go there at all to play.

“Liverpool is a very good example,” Emery said ahead of the match. “They have a very strong style and their mentality is very, very strong. They are adding titles. We are on our way to creating a big mentality. We also need time.

“They have an advantage on us in this way, but I really appreciate their work. Their performance is amazing, their spirit and quality also. They are a team that can feel strong. I want to create our mentality, our style, and get stronger in our way little by little. And each match is a very big opportunity to show how we are.

“Saturday is a massive match, an amazing opportunity for us to do something important, knowing it is going to be difficult, but really we can say, ‘We are here’.”

Arsenal have lost on their last three trips to Anfield by a combined score of 12-2 and have failed to win there in seven years. Any sort of result on Saturday, that is not a total thumping, should be seen as a sign of improvement, which is a sad indictment of where Arsenal find themselves at present.

But hopefully we are at the start of something special…

“We are using young players,” Emery added. “They are coming, in the near future, to be very big players. The young players, they are giving us a lot of energy – a lot of power in their wish to achieve and help us.

“We want to do it this way, with that spirit.”