Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp says he’s expecting Arsenal to play with real pace at the Westfalenstadion on Tuesday night after the acquisition of Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez.
The Gunners’ new attacking duo were deployed together for the first time against Manchester City on Saturday demonstrating a verve for closing down from the front that helped Arsene Wenger’s side dominate large periods of the game.
Speaking to the Evening Standard ahead of the two clubs’ seventh Champions League encounter, Klopp revealed he was impressed by both signings.
“They [Arsenal] have signed two outstanding players in Danny Welbeck and Alexis Sanchez, who will give them even more pace. I’m expecting the Gunners to try and utilise this on Tuesday. But first and foremost, both teams will have to be fully focused and defend well.”
Asked whether he thinks Arsenal have what it takes to go all the way in Europe, Klopp avoided making specific predictions but did highlight a recent pattern of unexpected challengers.
“Recent finals have always been contested by a top favourite and a dark horse like Atletico Madrid last season or us the year before. But I don’t like to think in terms of ‘favourites’. Of course, Chelsea, Real Madrid or PSG will always be mentioned.
“Maybe Arsenal as well, who knows? I certainly couldn’t pick a favourite myself. At this level, every match is a real challenge.”
While the Gunners will be without Olivier Giroud and fellow Frenchman Mathieu Debuchy, Dortmund have recently endured terrible injury problems of their own.
Marco Reus returned from the ankle twist that kept him out of Germany’s triumphant World Cup winning campaign only to suffer a similar knock two weeks ago. He’s one of several big names to be missing tomorrow, although Klopp remains upbeat about the season ahead.
“You are right about the incredible injury woes we suffered [last year]. And there has been no real let-up as we are without players like Nuri Sahin, Oliver Kirch, Ji, Ilkay Gundogan, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Marco Reus at the moment.
“I still felt we had a successful season last season, as we achieved everything we set out to do. And our goals for the 2014-15 season are similar, namely to progress from our Champions League group, achieve direct qualification for next year’s Champions League and, if possible, reach the German Cup Final in Berlin again.”
Jack Wilshere says he’s looking forward to the third clash at Borussia Dortmund’s fabled ground in four years and believes a good result this time around will prove important ahead of games against Galatasaray and Anderlecht.
“They’re always good games when we face them,” he told Arsenal.com.
“It’s a tough game and we go there first this time, so the hardest match of the group will be the first one. We can put a marker down in that game to say we’re here to win this group. Even if we don’t win the game, we don’t want to lose it.
“The main one missing for them is Reus, he’s fantastic. I’ve watched him over the last few years and he’s got better and better. Now he’s one of the best players, if not the best player, in Germany so they’ll miss him. But they’ve got quality players who can come in and they’ve made a good start to the season.”
*kloppklopp*
Why you’re just clapping two coconuts together…
Who’s there?
It is I, Arthur, son of Uther Pendragon, from the castle of Camelot. King of the Britons, defeater of the Saxons, Sovereign of all England!
*kloppklopp*
We shouldn’t underestimate them at all. They’ve been on form scoring a fair few goals the past few weeks. Aubemayang has added goals to his game with his frightening pace too, so our back four have a serious job to do.
Kagawa is back to his best after united nearly destroyed him so they do have options. We’ll have to be very defensively switched on and judging from our start to the season I really am concerned. Hopefully we can hold them at bay for 20 odd mins, get a couple goals in and see it out.
“Kagawa is back to his best”
He has played 64 minutes for Dortmund this season. Sure he scored a goal but how can you state that he is back to his best? Did you even watch the game? Internet hyperbole – sigh…
United did to Kagawa what we are currently doing to Özil. I watched Kagawa home debut for Dortmund and he was absolutely beaming and just looked happy, and his performance instantly went from poor and meek at United to absolute beast mode. Will only get better as he gels wity the team again and get a few more games under his belt. Klopp allways said United was using him wrong. Now if Only Wenger would stop being so stubborn and utilize Özil in his best position. Not only his best position, but the onlymposition where he become world class. If… Read more »
Controversial but Özil’s best position is anywhere on the pitch he can slide a pass into the path of a runner (who’s game he knows). If you play for Madrid, with all the uncertainty over players and manager, one certainty is that if you see Ronaldo running at goal, putting the ball into his path is creating a pretty good goalscoring chance. At the moment, two things are happening; the runs are not being made/anticipated and therefore Özil is having to wait in possession or just recycle it. Actual field position is irrelevant when your game is about vision and… Read more »
Swedegunner – Yeah I actually did watch the game thanks. He had an all round solid game with an assist and a goal to his name, even though the goal wasn’t spectacular, and that was all within 64 mins like you said, so yeah, I think he’s nearing back to his best. You’d do well not to jump to conclusions in future mate. Moxxi – Its painful to watch Ozil not being played in his favoured position, but I wouldn’t want to sell him in January, just has too much quality. I think he’ll probably be deployed in the middle… Read more »
He’s my favourite non-Arsene manager in the world. There’s something in his melancholic demeanour that is very magnetic. Not to mention he knows a thing or two about football too. Great guy overall
Melancholic? I think the word you were looking for is choleric
Neah I meant melancholic. There is a certain sadness about him.
Agree with you. Hope he will be the next Arsenal manager to take over when Wenger retires.
Klopp. Klopp is a fun name to say.
Klopp.
Sounds like agent Jack Wilshere is on the case for Marco Reus to Arsenal.
I’m gonna need our keeper to help me pronounce that Jakub dude’s surname
Bwahs – chi – kov- ski
I remember that a few years ago he blasted in a beautiful goal from distance and thinking his name was pronounced blast-chik-off-ski, which would obviously make it the Polish translation of “Blast Off!”
And yes, Klopp’s name is beautiful.
It’s a shame that a match between the two purest football clubs, both with great fanbase and a lot of class, is spoiled by so many injuries. We can be happy that Reus and Gundogan are missing, but then it would be a greater achievement to beat them with them playing.
It’s a shame UEFA, an institution with more corrupt officials than the governments of C____ and I____, have to put us and Dortmund together every year so we can cancel each other out.
china, colombia, chile, cuba, croatia, channel islands?
israel, india, iceland, ireland, iowa, indiana?
There’s part of me that thinks that, but then again I’m pretty happy that Reus won’t be running at Chambers in his first *proper* CL match and Blacyzskowski exploiting our left flank.
Should hit em on the counter.
Well, that’s settled then!!
That’s genius!
I hope our defence will buckle up & avoid silly mistakes
or our attack scores loads of goals…
how about we do both guys? yes? yes.
I hope we win lots.
If Bender isn’t ready to start against us, then that means that they’ll be playing their 4th and 5th choice central midfield choices. If we are as tenacious in midfield as we were against City, we should win that battle enabling us to hopefully dominate the game. Of course, we’ll have to be wary of their counter-attacking abilities even without Reus.
Must admit, injuries or no injuries, I really hate playing Dortmund. A win tomorrow would really set us on the way though.
I love Jurgen Klopp he’s that genius/madman brilliance all rolled into one
yes coz he is Klopp-man
Is Theo back yet? Can’t wait to see him join Alexis and Welbs, that’s gonna be one pacey attacking line to make defences scramble and err.
Or just sit deep with 2 banks of 5.
I just want to see ozil score
he scored.. yaayy!!!
I was watching MONEYBALL movie few days ago…
There were two people coming to my mind through out the movie
One.Arsene Wenger
2.Klopp
Are you an Indian?
Billy Beane (the GM of the A’s) has said a few times that Wenger is an inspiration to him. The A’s traded away a bunch of hitting for good pitchers this year, but it seems to have backfired and they are on a ‘downward spiral’.
I hope Klopp replaces Wenger when he retires in 10 years after winning the league a record 10 times in a row 🙂
I just to say Klopp is a classy guy.
Klopp HAS to be approached when Arsene finally hands in his clipboard and whistle.
By the look of things he will take them to his grave. Kloppo would be an interesting choice to succeed him. Top track record (as well as Martinez). However that’s blue sky thinking for now, let’s see what Arsene and our lads will come up with this & coming seasons.
Nice read. Klopp’s a great football man but I wish him to be unlucky against us. Good win for the Gooners.
Szcz
Chambers, BFG, Kos, Nacho
Arteta, Ramsey
Alexis, Wilshere, Özil
Welbeck
Özil needs to step up his game. Otherwise he should sit out some games and the Ox or Rosicky should play.
COYG!
Scz
Chambers Mert Kosc Gibbs
Ramsey Wilshere
——–Ozil
Alexis————Welbeck
Campbell
Ozil needs to be played in his natural position behind the front line in the centre.
Ramsey and Wilshere can be our dog fighters in midfield. If arteta can do that, then surely Wilshere and Ramsey can work hard and fight in midfield. If we haven’t got a proper DM, we might as well play to our strengths and attack like crazy. This way also we have Alexis and Welbeck able to track back and help out the defence.
Nacho is injured, and I’d rather see Rosicky for Ozil. I’m not an Ozil hater (I think he’s fantastic when he’s on his game), but something is clearly wrong with him at the moment.
we are long way from being considered CL favourites IMO
okay
I just can’t help imagine if arteta had pace. We need a pacey DM to complete this side and welbeck to turn into Henry. We are carrying Ozil we should play the OX. I would prefer bellerin to start over chambers. My personal gamble there lol. Anyway the perks of living in Argentina right now is football comes on no later than 3pm for champions league and I can go try sign messi for us 🙂
Whats the point of someone who can run fast but loses the ball everytime he gets and ball and places his shots into row Z whenever he gets a chance. He is nowhere near Ozil. You don’t drop world class players after an average performance. You work on them to give you their best. A 60% Ozil is better than most of our players, not an exaggeration, because it is enough if he contributes one good thing in a match and that thing leads to a goal. His job is to supply to the goal scorers. He is doing that.… Read more »
Very true. here here.
I imagine that there must be quite a few perks living in Argentina, including their National team.
Wilshere is World class at his best …If he and Ramsey get into top Form I seriously don’t see a role for Ozil in this team…in this Formation…we could do with a pacy winger at the left or revert to a 4231 with Ramsey and Jack sharing Defensive duties..Jack is after all studying Pirlo and Mascharano .That would really accommodate Ozil …
Not sure why Wenger doesn’t play Joel Campbell as the pacy winger on the left?
Think Campbell will get his chance in the FA and League games. If he performs, he will become a rapid option for Wenger in the league games.
And I don;t feel Campbell will be restricted to the wings necessarily, he could also be an option for us leading the line as he has done with Costa Rica to some effect.
Jack is a waste trying to be Pirlo or whatever DM Hodgeson seems to imagine. Frankly the England gaffer is out of his depth. Jack is best threatening the opposite defense. he gives us a capability only replicated by the elusive Diaby. He can carry the ball vertically through midfield. In many ways, he is more critical to the balance of the team than Ramsey. We have plenty of wide players but we do not have many players who can cut through the middle and take on two to three players. Jack if he keeps up his performance will afford… Read more »
Feeling quite confident about this one. I watched our Saturday game again without the tension and I think some our attacking play was very good. If we can replicate that tomorrow, Dortmund will need to be at their very best to avoid a 2nd successive defeat at home to us. Our defence needs to sit up all the same. Can’t wait for what will be a scintilating night of european football. I hope and pray the ref does not ruin it.
It’s a different feel this season. It doesn’t feel as if we were second best and playing above our station as it did last season in the big match where we were hoping for an upset and hanging on to dear life. Well there was 10 minutes of that old stuff at the end but for most parts in the game, we felt in control and very lively, not turgid and slow. The key for us though even at this early stage is to start translating good performances into points. We get nothing for a commendation on good performance. We… Read more »
must win match
All games should be must wins for us.
That should be the mentality within the squad.
Cazorla in for Ozil, Rosicky for Ramsey, Chambers on for Debuchy. Keep everyone else from the City game.
Pretty sure Nacho chipped his nacho. So Gibbs or Flambo will start at left back. Probably Gibbss, but hey, I’m just one guy and stranger things have happened.
If Gibbs is not 100%, I’d rather we not risk it. Better to employ Flamini with Coquelin as back up. Coquelin is on the margins of the team and likely a foot out of the door but whilst he is with us, he may yet have an important role to play as utility. It may be his last chance to shine and take the step up (in whatever position he can find) he is 23yrs and on the fringe so its make or break time. If at LB, then he should try to be the best LB possible. But he… Read more »
Wenger is ready to do some rock and roll (the classics at least):)
He has indeed injected pace into the squad. We were too turgid last season.
Aside from Welbeck and Alexis, we have Ox, Walcott, Campbell, Gnabry,all speed merchants.
Also Gibbs is joined by Bellerin on the other flank.
and even Metersecker seems to have gain a little speed as evident from his interception against City.
😀
All this talk about needing speed in the DM is frankly BOLLOCKS. Does Pirlo operate with speed? Marsecherano or De Jong are neither quick nor big in stature. Some plonker went on about how we should look to being like City and employing a mobile DMsuch as the likes of fernandhino, neglecting the fact that…well they did leak two goals or does defensive frailty only apply to us when goals are scored against? Ditto the whole nonsense about big bruising DM the likes of well, Wanyama, Gustavo, Mvilla, Capoue, non of whom have exactly covered their career in glory since… Read more »
We will definitely see Santi. Welbeck and Alexis are starters as are Arteta and jack. I feel Ozil will also start. he needs to work through the funk and frankly, he was not as bad as suggested if you look back at the game (although we all know he can perform waaay better and that is where the frustration lies) Podolski and Ox are also candidates to come on IMO. At the back, Gibbs could be short which may mean Flamini. Meterscielny will hold the centre and if Chambers doesn’t get past his tonsils, then we will have a bit… Read more »