When Liverpool visited the Emirates in April, they left with their tails between their legs after a 4-1 humbling at the hands of the Gunners. Hector Bellerin scored the opening goal that day, but he believes it won’t be as easy this time around. The Reds visit north London again on Monday night in their second away game of the season, and Brendan Rodgers’ team will be eager to exact revenge on Arsene Wenger and his players.
Prior to the game, Bellerin said: “They have signed some good players, it is going to be a totally different game and we are excited.
“It is only the third game of the season so it is important that we do things well.
“We had a very good pre-season – a fantastic pre-season – we had a very good end to the year last year, so obviously there is a great atmosphere in the dressing room and the team is very excited.”
The Spaniard also praised his counterpart Mathieu Debuchy, who moved to the Gunners from Newcastle United in 2014. He’s failed to really establish himself, with a dislocated shoulder keeping him out for three months of last season, but Bellerin still believes it’s good to have him back: “Mathieu Debuchy is back now so we know there is going to be a lot of competition but we all say that is a good thing.
“Competition always makes you train harder and perform better because you know you have to give 100 percent otherwise you are going to be on the bench.”
Arsenal have only managed to bring in one signing so far this summer, Petr Cech, regardless of how many they’ve been linked with – including Karim Benzema and Lars Bender. Bellerin praised the Gunners’ newest addition from Chelsea, saying: “The confidence that he gives you when he is in goal, he is a player who has lived a lot, he’s won loads of trophies and is a legend of the Premier League so he has always got that piece of advice for you.”
Meanwhile, the young defender revealed that he and his teammates are already starting to understand the new interpretation of the offside rule, which almost befouled Liverpool last Monday: “We had advice from the coaches.
“It actually happened not long ago in training and they said this now is not allowed so it is good when these things happen so everyone knows what is going on otherwise there can be confusion.
“What is clear is that everyone needs to know what is going on so these things don’t happen again.”
