Klopp knows full well the threat posed to the Reds’ defence by Jesus, who has made a superb start to his Gunners career
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has enthused about Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus, as he prepares his team for Sunday’s crunch Premier League clash at the Emirates Stadium. Klopp has spoken of his long-standing admiration for the Brazil international, who joined the Gunners from Manchester City in a £45m move this summer.
Jesus scored his sixth goal for Arsenal as Mikel Arteta’s side beat Tottenham 3-1 in the North London derby last time out in the league, and Klopp says the Reds must ensure the 25-year-old “stops flying” as they chase only their third league win of the season.
During his pre-match press conference on Friday, the German said: “I don’t know [Jesus] on a personal basis, but I’ve always liked him as a player.”
Klopp also acknowledged Jesus’ sublime dribble to tee up Fabio Vieira for Arsenal’s third goal in Thursday night’s 3-0 Europa League victory over Bodo/Glimt.
“The third goal last night was a nice set up, so he is full of confidence – plus [he has] the quality of top-class players around him. He’s flying in this moment; that’s clear. If you’re not playing against them, it’s easy to enjoy what he’s doing. We need to make sure he stops flying for a weekend.”
Jesus’ assist on Thursday was his fifth of 2022/23 in all competitions, taking him to 10 goal involvements in 10 appearances this term.
He scored five goals against Liverpool for City, most recently in last season’s pulsating 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium.