'Gunners should fear our Kop motivation'
Brendan Rodgers has warned Barclays Premier League leaders Arsenal that a raucous Anfield atmosphere will have his players raring to go when the two side's meet on Saturday.
The manager was blown away by the noise levels inside the stadium as Everton were swept aside 4-0 last week and he watched as the players thrived on the support from the stands.
That's been the case right from the outset in L4, where the Reds have won 12 out of 14 matches this season, dropping points only to Southampton and Aston Villa.
Rodgers has long stated his aim to turn Anfield into a fortress once again, and he insists the supporters who pack into the ground for Saturday's early kick off have a vital part to play.
"These types of games are the opportunities that allow you to make a statement," Rodgers told reporters gathered at Melwood.
"We go into it with big confidence, aligned with the support we get from the fans. The atmosphere at the last home game against Everton was incredible.
"When the big games come to town, that's when the supporters come into it. The players and the supporters together will make it a really difficult game for Arsenal at the weekend.
"They are leading the pack; they are at the top of the league and we're one of the clubs that has been chasing them this season.
"We've been brilliant at home. The performance level from the players and the support that the fans have produced over the majority of the games has been outstanding. So it's another big game for us.
"I feel that the bigger the games are, sometimes, the better we play. Against Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Manchester United we showed that.
"We're really looking to show our confidence and belief and put in a performance that is going to get a win for us."
Arsene Wenger's side have been both consistent and clinical this season, maintaining a presence near the top of the table, where they sit currently, two points clear of Manchester City.
When Liverpool faced them at the Emirates in November, top spot in the standings was up for grabs; however, strikes from Santi Cazorla and Aaron Ramsey sealed a 2-0 win for the home side.
"At the Emirates we weren't at our best," admitted Rodgers. "They were clearly the better team. We weren't so good and you have to give credit to Arsenal for how they played in that game.
"From that game up until now, more or less, we've been very good. There's been some outstanding performances, some games where we've not quite got the result, but we know that we'll be ready for this game.
"I think you can actually be in a good spell and then go into a game and just not be quite at your best. It happens in football. But what I know from this team is that they always give their best and they put everything into the game.
"There are only 14 games to go, so I think every game is critical between now and the end of the season. Every team will look at their rivals to see if they can take points off them.
"We know if we win the game, we will be on 50 points and that's five points behind Arsenal. So it's a big game, but we'll go into it as we normally do and we'll concentrate on our performance level. If we do that, the result should take care of itself."
Liverpool's last encounter saw the Reds let a one-goal lead slip at the Hawthorns to draw 1-1 against West Bromwich Albion.
Afterwards, the manager and his players struggled to contain their disappointment at dropping points on the road. However, Rodgers believes such frustration emphasises how far his side have progressed this season.
"Every game is a tough game, whether it's home or away," he said. "It was a tough one to take because we had control over the game.
"But the big change for us is that we expect to win nowadays and I think when I first came in, the pressure to win was difficult for us.
"We expected it because of the club and the size of the club, but we were never quite that confident enough to win consistently. Now, because of the level of our work and our consistency, we go into every game expecting to win.
"That's certainly the case at Anfield and I think you can see that in our results. We always respect every opponent we play and none more so than the leaders.
"Maybe people weren't expecting us to be where we are at this stage in the development of the team. We've certainly showed consistently over a year or so now that this is a team that is progressing."