Liverpool boss Arne Slot jumps to the defence of 'special' Mikel Arteta and says Arsenal boss deserves a lot of credit despite missing out on the title

Arne Slot has lent his enactment to 'special' Mikel Arteta, insisting the Arsenal manager deserves much recognition for the occupation he's done astatine the Emirates.

The knives are retired for Arteta pursuing Arsenal's Champions League exit against PSG, contempt being favourites to decorativeness Premier League runners-up for the 3rd consecutive season.

Slot, whose Liverpool champions volition get a defender of honour from the Gunners astatine Anfield connected Sunday, wants radical to look beyond Arteta not winning a trophy since the FA Cup successful 2020.

'Mikel should get, successful my opinion, a batch of recognition for the mode his squad plays,' said Slot.

'Arsenal tin play astir each style. It is simply a large accomplishment to beryllium capable to person lone 1 style, but Mikel's squad are susceptible of being different, arsenic we saw successful the 2 games against PSG.

'They tin play disconnected set-pieces. They tin support successful a debased artifact and beryllium the ascendant team. They tin play a high-press. They tin physique up from the backmost oregon play the agelong ball.

'Every portion of the crippled they are good, and that means it is hard to analyse them due to the fact that you don't cognize what you're going to face.

'The lone mode you tin person that is if you enactment astatine a nine for truthful galore years but not each managers who person been astatine clubs a agelong clip tin play truthful galore styles. This is special. You don't spot it a lot.'

Slot's backing has echoes of Pep Guardiola sticking up for Arteta aft Manchester City had beaten an injury-ravaged Arsenal 5-0 successful 2021.

The Liverpool manager is already readying for the post-Trent Alexander-Arnold epoch by starting Conor Bradley astatine right-back this weekend.

Whilst Jurgen Klopp talked astir his team's enactment radical of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Mo Salah, Andy Robertson and vice-captain Alexander-Arnold, the Dutchman revealed his benignant is different.

'We person starring players, but it's not similar I beryllium each period oregon week with a enactment group. I've ne'er done that,' helium said.

'With Trent leaving, it's not each of a abrupt we person nary leaders left. He wasn't the astir vocal 1 successful the dressing room, but helium did pb by example. I speech with each of the players, not 3 oregon four.'