Jurgen Klopp has been impressed by Mikel Arteta’s rapid transformation of Arsenal both structurally and psychologically, which has rendered them “really tough opponents.”
Liverpool host the North Londoners on Monday night and the Reds boss has experienced the alterations his counterpart has made twice since July.
Arsenal defeated the champions of England 2-1 at the Emirates last season before ousting them in the Community Shield at Wembley on penalties.
Those games fed into Klopp’s analysis of the club since Arteta’s appointment in December, which underlined how much Pep Guardiola’s former assistant has improved the Gunners.
"He's shown in a short period of time that he seems to be an exceptional football manager,” the German said.
“The team he sets up now, the structure is absolutely great. You can see the balance between the defence and offence is really good. You can see a lot of things that are pretty helpful in football.
They are well organised, still with creative freedom for the players. I have to say, since he’s there, he’s done a brilliant and impressive job.
“He's changed, I think, the whole mood at the club. I don’t think anyone would have thought that at the end of the season they would win any competition, but he managed to do that by lifting the FA Cup and then the Community Shield.
“It’s a tough, tough opponent 100 per cent.”
Klopp has been most struck by Arsenal’s solidity without the ball under Arteta.
“They defend properly,” he said. “All the players are involved in defending.
“They defend in a 5-4-1 and when you have quality players that makes it tricky for the opposition, especially when they have speed in the counter-attack.”
Arsenal are looking to register victory in their opening three games to a Premier League season for the first time since 2004-05 and Arteta is hoping to become the only Gunners manager to win on his debut test at Anfield in all competitions since Tom Whittaker in December 1947.
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