Just to highlight how Jurgen Klopp is realising that his task of turning Liverpool into a veritable force again is tough, his kind words for Arsene Wenger show it.
Speaking about the Arsenal veteran ahead of tonight's clash at Anfield, Liverpool's manager was magnanimous in his praise: "My respect goes up day-by-day because it's really intensive to work in the Premier League, especially in a team with international matches too," the German said.
"He had always my biggest respect but now it's a little bit bigger since I'm here. That's really a brilliant job he's done - 19-and-a-half years."
And the two clubs meet at a crucial juncture with the injury-hit Reds spluttering and Arsenal trying to keep the fire lit on their title charge.
But it's how the Gunners approach the game more so that is interesting as Klopp has already hinted that Liverpool will counter-attack with his comment that: "Arsenal and Arsène have their own style. It’s possession football, so it’s clear that, if we want to play the same way, we will be without a chance because they’ve been doing it for longer."
Wenger will need to be wary of the counter but he will also know that the Reds are vulnerable.
Injuries have robbed them of centre-backs with Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren out and Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure just returning to fitness, while ex-Tottenham centre-back Steven Caulker arrives on loan.
But even with their main defenders available, Liverpool have been shaky at the back and there is also a weakness in the air, which is one reason Klopp has highlighted in his considerations for the Caulker move.
That was something Tony Barrett of The Times believes will concern Klopp when he spoke to Off The Ball ahead of last week's Capital One Cup first leg against Stoke, although for the Merseyside correspondent it is as much about stopping crosses than the actual final challenge in the box.
"What Klopp was saying was that you have to avoid crosses because when the ball comes into the air, it's 50-50. That to me was a little bit 'it's just not about the centre-backs, it's how we stop the ball coming into the box,'" said Barrett.
They have conceded seven headed goals this season, which is the joint-third highest tally in the Premier League, while as a percentage it is a higher proportion than the teams which have conceded numerically more often from headers.
There was a time when balls into the box were a rare approach for Arsenal but with Olivier Giroud up front it is an option they have used.
Giroud and Can (Picture by: John Walton / PA Archive/PA Images)
Indeed five of his 10 Premier League goals this season have come from his perfectly manicured hairline.
So, it is important that Arsenal's wide midfielders and full-backs on the night stretch the play in the final third, pulling Liverpool's back-line to its seams, creating the space for Giroud to isolate the centre-backs and get a free run at crosses.
Of course, Arsenal's defence is one which can be suspect and they have made the second most defensive errors in the division.
But Mesut Ozil and co will be heartened to know that Liverpool are the club that top that particular table by a country mile.
While Arsenal have made 15 errors, the Reds have made a full 21, with six leading to a goal. Goalkeeper Simon Mignolet and Emre Can, a man that has now escaped from Brendan Rodgers' centre-back experiment, are responsible for two each.
Stats of course will not decide which way the game swings with Liverpool more than capable of beating Arsenal and the Gunners sometimes liable to the sort of collapse that they experienced in their 4-0 humiliation at Southampton during the Christmas break.
But if they can avoid that and test Liverpool's defence consistently, they should come out on top in the 8pm kick-off.
All stats from Squawka.com.
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