Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has revealed what he thinks of Arsenal’s current squad.
The Gunners have leapfrogged the Merseysiders in the Premier League table in recent weeks, overturning a five-point gap to now sit four points clear of Arne Slot’s side.
Andrea Berta spent £250 million in the summer transfer window to ensure Mikel Arteta’s ensemble has the requisite depth to compete on multiple fronts, and this approach appears to be working thus far.
The North Londoners have a plethora of different options in every position across the pitch, and the Spanish manager has so far utilised these options well by rotating effectively.
Jurgen Klopp says Arsenal have an ‘incredible squad’
Liverpool signed Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, among others, in the summer.
These additions prompted many to claim that the north-west side had ‘won the transfer window’ and would walk to the Premier League title.
However, Isak and Wirtz are yet to settle in Slot’s team, while the Reds’ recruitment in the full-back areas certainly doesn’t look to have been smart based on how Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez have performed so far.
Meanwhile, Viktor Gyokeres is struggling for Arsenal, but the large majority of the rest of the Gunners’ signings have integrated well.
Arteta’s side look like the most accomplished team in the English top flight, and even former Liverpool boss Klopp has admitted that the North Londoners have an ‘incredible squad’.
“So Liverpool have an incredible squad,” the German said on the Diary of a CEO Podcast.
“Yes, are they 100% happy right now with the defeats? No, probably not, but incredible squad.
“Arsenal, incredible squad. City, I mean, they want to strike back, so there’s already three clubs. Chelsea, in that time when everybody thought, do they have an overview of their transfer market?”
Arsenal’s depth approach will prove to be the correct approach
Arsenal suffered from relentless injury issues last season.
Berta’s response to this was to provide Arteta with an extremely deep squad that is protected from falling apart as a result of a handful of fitness issues.
So far this season, the likes of Bukayo Saka, William Saliba, and Martin Odegaard have all sustained injuries, yet the Gunners have been able to cope.
Meanwhile, Liverpool went for fewer signings, but for the players with higher upside. If everything comes together, the Merseysiders could be a frightening team, but their squad is a lot more susceptible to a drop off in level due to a lack of depth in certain areas.
Slot’s centre-back cohort is threadbare, while he has few offensive options, particularly in wide areas. If Mo Salah doesn’t pick up form or Cody Gakpo suffers an injury, then they’re in trouble all of a sudden.
Arsenal don’t have this issue, and given their floor is already so high due to their defensive solidity, their depth approach should pay dividends over the course of the season.
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