Brendan: Let's strike a psychological blow
Brendan Rodgers has talked up the possibility of Liverpool striking an early psychological blow in the race for a top-four finish when they travel to Arsenal on Monday.
After earning wins over Stoke City and Bournemouth in the opening two fixtures of the Barclays Premier League campaign, the Reds head to the Emirates Stadium for a heavyweight clash with Arsene Wenger's side.
The Gunners have qualified for the Champions League in each of the last 18 seasons and are likely to offer the sternest examination thus far of Rodgers' team's chances of returning to Europe's top table this term.
But the manager sees the fixture as an opportunity for Liverpool to lay down a marker, and is confident his side can impose themselves.
"No matter when these games come in the season they're always good for the psychological effect," he said.
"Of course, we've got tough games [coming up] away from home but we'll arrive into the game with confidence.
"We know they're an outstanding group of players with some quality individual players but there's a real focus in this group for this season, a real toughness mentally.
"And we know we've got that ability to scrap and to fight to get a result, as well as play good football.
"So if we can go there and perform like we think we can and have that game-plan, we're confident that we can get a result."
Under Wenger, Arsenal have forged a reputation for attractive, attacking football based on retention of possession.
And, though Rodgers can see similarities between his own methods and that of his Gunners counterpart, he wants to see his players prove that they can dominate a game in a different way even if they do not have the majority of the ball.
"If you assess the games we've had against Arsenal, we've always had, especially at home, dominance of the ball," he explained.
"If you look at Arsenal's last 10 games that they've lost at home, the teams that have won there it's been about dangerous possession.
"The teams that have been there have only averaged around four shots on target and with 43 per cent possession.
"So it tells you that you can go there and you don't need to dominate the ball but you can dominate the space and that's obviously something that is important, especially in the big games away.
"Tactically, we'll arrive into the game in a good mind of how we can win it.
"Like Arsenal, we do like to dominate the ball but there are certain games where tactically you look at the approach that's going to get you the result and that's something that we've done and have been working on this week."
The boss also offered few hints as to whether he might stick with the same starting XI that defeated Stoke and Bournemouth, though he did highlight the need for consistency.
"Each game you assess and you look tactically at where you can win the game," he added.
"I think ideally every manager would want that consistency in the team but it's where you have a good squad and look to bring in players if you do need to change the dynamic of the team, either tactically or in another way.
"We've got a squad that is capable of doing that this season but the consistency is important in your line-up."