The Reds coach has praised his side’s unrelenting intensity after an emphatic win over the Gunners at the weekend
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes his side managed to break Arsenal physically in their 3-1 win at Anfield on Saturday.
The Reds, helped by a double from Mohamed Salah, made light work of the Gunners to continue their winning start to the season.
While only just edging possession across the 90 minutes, Liverpool bombarded Arsenal’s defence throughout the contest as they fired off 25 shots – more than double their opposition’s total.
That tenacity was particularly pleasing for Klopp, who suggested his side were able to break Unai Emery’s men physically.
“The intention was to be us – just be us. Our identity is intensity, and the intensity we put into the game was really incredible,” Klopp said.
“An opponent of the quality of Arsenal, you have to break somehow. Break them physically, yes. And we did.
“I said at half-time to the boys, ‘How do you think they feel?’ It was such an intense first half there was no time to breathe.”
With Liverpool star Salah stealing the show on Saturday, Nicolas Pepe’s starting debut for Arsenal was somewhat overshadowed as the Ivorian showed flashes of brilliance.
As Emery looked to fit Pepe into his starting side, Klopp admitted he was unsure how his opponents would approach the game.
“I had no clue about their tactics, to be honest,” he said.
“I saw their teamsheet and thought it could be a diamond, but I didn’t think they would play Pepe in a different position in his first game.
“We can improve, but 80 per cent of our game I am completely happy with.”
Liverpool have now won all three of their opening Premier League matches and sit two points clear in first after losing last season’s title race by one point to Manchester City.
Though they have started strong in their domestic campaign, the Reds are yet to keep a clean sheet with their manager adamant it will take time for his defence to shine again.
“It’s not like riding a bike, you lose it,” Klopp said.
“You have to come back and start again, and we are doing that, but against Arsenal it was really good, really aggressive.”
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