"That’s a big credit to them" - Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta makes bold claims about Liverpool ahead of PL clash

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has heaped praise on Liverpool ahead of their visit to the Emirates on Sunday, October 27. The Spaniard believes the Reds have proved that they are one of the best teams by challenging Manchester City over the last few seasons.

Speaking to the media ahead of Arsenal's high voltage clash against Liverpool, Arteta lauded the Reds' knack of stepping up in big games. He also highlighted how they had been consistent for almost a decade now and knew how to compete for the top spot. He said (via Tribal Football):

"For me, they are one of the best teams in the last decade and certainly the history of this Premier League, because they competed against a team that was creating record after record and they were consistently there. That shows a lot of relentless and winning mentality to consistently believe, even if it some people you feel you could not reach it. So that's a big credit to them and with the work they have done with a clear identity, so that's something remarkable in my opinion."

Arteta added:

"It's a team that has been competing for nine years at the highest level. They know how to compete, how to threaten you when the ball is really far, when the ball is in the outside units especially. They have the quality to damage you. For nine years consistently it's been there. That means they're really good at what they do."

Liverpool go into the game as the league leaders, with Manchester City in second and trailing by just a point. Arsenal meanwhile are third in the table, four points behind the leaders.

Mikel Arteta sets rules for Arsenal ahead of Liverpool clash

Mikel Arteta stressed that Arsenal would stay true to their identity and only make some adjustments to tackle the Reds in the upcoming contest. He said:

"We are always going to be ourselves in the things, in the identity that we have, in the game that we want to play, in how we are going to approach the game to win it. That's certainly not going to change. Then, obviously, you adapt and you make certain alterations to feed the quality of the players and put the players in their biggest strengths - which is what we want to do."

Arsenal lost 2-0 to Bournemouth in their last league outing, which saw them slip in the title race. Liverpool, on the other hand, beat Chelsea 2-1 at home to consolidate their position at the top.