Arsenal vs Liverpool: Laurent Koscielny warns his team-mates not to underestimate Christian Benteke

Dominant Koscielny:
Paul Gilham/Getty Images
James Benge24 August 2015

Laurent Koscielny is not underestimating Christian Benteke in spite of comfortably holding the striker at arm’s length the last time they met.

The new Liverpool signing has hit the ground running at Anfield, scoring in his second game of the season to give Brendan Rodgers' side three points against Bournemouth.

However it was a different story the last time Benteke came up against the Arsenal defence, with Per Mertesacker and Koscielny having no problems dealing with the then Aston Villa frontman in the FA Cup Final.

However Arsenal’s French centre-back is not expecting to have it as easy when Liverpool travel to the Emirates tonight, and is not expecting a repeat of Arsenal’s spectacular 4-0 and 4-1 victories in the FA Cup final and against Liverpool in April.

“We had a good game against Aston Villa in the FA Cup final but the other games against Benteke will be harder,” Koscielny told the Arsenal matchday programme. “I know him and every game is hard against him. He's a big professional who gives his all for the team and to score.

“He loves the duels and he loves the goal so it will be harder this time. Just because we won by three or four against a team last season doesn't mean you will again.

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“We can do it again, but each game you need to improve yourself so you are ready to win.”

Koscielny is confident that he can deal with the robust challenge that the 6ft3in Belgian will provide, saying that his heading has been one of the aspects he has improved the most under Arsene Wenger.

He said: “My biggest development has been in aerial duels. For a centre back that is very important when you are playing against a lot of long balls. We need to win these duels, find our feet to win the ball back and play, so maybe this is my most important quality. But everything is important.

“Psychologically you have to be prepared as there is a lot of pressure every game because we always want to win. All the games are important so you need to be ready in your body and in your head - so the two parts are important.”

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