'Homework done and I'll keep attacking'
Nathaniel Clyne hopes that his pre-match homework ensures Arsenal can't catch Liverpool by surprise tonight – and that he can instead trouble them from right-back.
Two games into his Reds career, the No.2 has already shown snippets of the defensive nous and attacking instincts that earned him international recognition before a move to Anfield.
Clyne and his colleagues at the back have posted consecutive clean sheets to kick off the season as maximum points have been secured from clashes with Stoke City and Bournemouth.
Ahead of the visit to the Emirates Stadium, he’s been studying the opposition closely, aware of the potential for reward if Brendan Rodgers’ team can keep the Gunners at bay.
“You do a lot of homework, watching DVDs of the players you could possibly be coming up against,” Clyne explained to Liverpoolfc.com.
“You know how they play – their movement, how they take on players and the positions they take up – so you’re not surprised.
“We know Arsenal’s quality in attack – their team has a lot of star players who can cause problems. We’re going to have to be on the top of our game to try to stop them.
“If you can keep a clean sheet you have always got a chance of picking up maximum points, especially with the players that we’ve got up front.
“We’ve got players that can produce a goal out of nothing. We’re going to try to go there and take the game to them and try to win.”
Clyne scored against Arsenal in the capital last season as former club Southampton claimed a 2-1 victory there in the Capital One Cup.
And his eagerness to support Liverpool’s attacks in search of a result that ‘would be massive’ will not be diminished amid his responsibility of stopping the hosts.
The defender added: “I’ve always got the licence to go forward and help my team in attack.
“That’s what I like doing and if there’s an opportunity for me to get forward, I’ll get forward and try to put balls into the box and get a goal.”