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MIKEL ARTETA is putting “Arsenal style” on the back burner as he tries to end the club’s Anfield nightmare tonight.
The Gunners have conceded a staggering 30 goals in their last eight visits to Liverpool and haven’t won there since 2012, when Arteta was still a player.
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But they did beat Jurgen Klopp’s Champions League at the Emirates in July and triumphed on penalties at the Community Shield last month.
And on both occasions they were happy to allow Liverpool to dominate possession and punish their opponents at half-time.
It’s a tactic Arteta has consistently used against his ‘Big Six’ opponents since he came out of lockdown.
And he makes no apologies for upsetting the Arsenal purists who grew up on Arsene Wenger’s team going into opposition to the death.
When the Gunners won 2-1 against the newly crowned Champions in July, they had just 31 percent possession.
Three days later they beat Manchester City in the FA Cup semi-final with just 29 percent.
But Areteta insists: “I’m here to win and my job is to find ways to do it.
“Sometimes it is what you want to do as a coach and other times it is what you can do with the levels of players and the performance that the best teams can do against you.
“In the games against Liverpool, City and Chelsea in the FA Cup final, we obviously had very long periods where we had to defend more than we would like.
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“So we have to find scenarios to prepare for that and if I propose something very difficult that exposes our team right now, I would not be acting in the best interest of the club or the players.
“We have to be able to adapt and the players we have available can change our game plan.
“Playing one way no longer works in soccer unless you are superior to your opponent all the time.”
Before Arteta’s appointment, Arsenal had a dismal record against their rivals at the top of the table and were often beaten before the game started.
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But recent victories have convinced players that they can hold their own against anyone and Arteta admits: “The results are obviously driving our belief.
“The players must feel comfortable with the plan that we implement. They need to realize that we can achieve what we want and then they will feel more confident and know what is going to happen. “
Arsenal’s luck has improved dramatically since Arteta opted for three at the back since coming out of the lockdown.
That also involves two full-backs, two defensive midfielders and only three attacking players, which leaves no room for players like Mesut Ozil.
But Arteta insists: “There are not three in the back all the time. It is only for brief moments of the game. Most of the time there are four in the back.
“I have the versatility to use players in different positions to cause problems for the opponent.”
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However, despite his recent successes against Liverpool, Arteta acknowledges that tonight’s game will be the toughest test of his short career as a manager.
“We know the standards that Liverpool have set in this league because they dominate almost every aspect of the game,” he says.
“They come as fast waves all the time, without much time to breathe and without long sequences of passes.”
To make life even more difficult for Arsenal, they will return to Anfield on Thursday night for their fourth round clash of the Carabao Cup.
Arteta says: “It’s difficult to play any team twice in four days.
When it comes to Liverpool, that challenge is much greater
“Obviously, not having fans will make a difference because it is a unique environment at Anfield and it strengthens the team.
“But we have seen how they can play without crowds, so we know the challenge ahead.
“We are at different times as clubs with the success that Liverpool has had in the Champions League and the Premier League.
“The performances on the pitch have generated economic power, but the right players still have to be hired and Liverpool have done it.
“They have implemented a vision and a strategy that is really clear. They have made many good decisions to be successful. “
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