After a hard-fought 2-0 win over Arsenal in the FA Cup third round on Sunday, Jurgen Klopp commended Liverpool’s resilience in holding off a spirited Arsenal side.
Liverpool had to endure a sustained Arsenal onslaught at the Emirates Stadium before clinching victory with two late goals.
Despite the absence of Virgil van Dijk due to illness, as well as Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo away on international duty, Liverpool showed the necessary character to pursue silverware this season.
Klopp expressed his satisfaction with the result, saying, “In the end, we came through. I’m really happy we could win this game. Arsenal could have won it without a doubt. We finished it off and it spoke for the character of the boys.”
Discussing the challenging nature of the game, Klopp added, “I’m super proud. It was a super difficult draw. Maybe the most difficult we could have got. It wasn’t an easy game to enjoy in the first half. We changed a bit at half-time.”
With Liverpool leading the Premier League and vying for four trophies, Klopp was relieved to avoid a draining FA Cup replay.
Liverpool now sits two points ahead of second-placed Aston Villa and five above fourth-placed Arsenal as they aim for their first title since 2020.
Klopp praised England defender Trent Alexander-Arnold for his influential performance, stating, “What a game he played by the way in all the positions he played. You see his class on the ball.”
Meanwhile, Arsenal have struggled in recent games, winning just one of their last six matches across all competitions, and Mikel Arteta’s side are currently out of both the FA Cup and League Cup.
Arteta acknowledged his team’s missed opportunities, saying, “The performance was there and the amount of chances too. We just have to win the game, but we lost it and we are not capitalizing.”
However, Arteta remained resolute, asserting, “When my team plays with this confidence what can I do? I am still behind them 100 percent.”