Bernd Leno Claims Arsenal Can Have 'Great Season' Under Unai Emery After 1-1 Liverpool Draw

Arsenal goalkeeper Bernd Leno says he is confident the club can enjoy ‘a great season’ following their battling 1-1 draw with Premier League rivals Liverpool on Saturday.

After the Gunners fell behind to James Milner’s strike, German shot-stopper Leno made several key saves before Alexandre Lacazette’s late equaliser extended the north London side's unbeaten run in all competitions to 14 matches.

Having arrived in the summer for a £22m fee from Bayer Leverkusen, Leno appears to have claimed a regular spot ahead of Petr Cech and the 26-year-old expressed his delight at his side’s dominance against Liverpool.

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He said, as quoted by the Express: ‘’I think we saw that we can play our way against the big teams. We controlled Liverpool.

“We played out of the back. It was not just lucky or lucky things to create from. We played the ball with passes from behind and that’s the way we want to play. 

“Tactically, it is one step better than at the beginning of the season because it needs time and it also needs time now in the next weeks.''

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The Gunners finished sixth in Arsene Wenger’s penultimate season but have proved critics wrong this term with a number of players hitting form, including previously scrutinised pair Mesut Ozil and Hector Bellerin.

Having been comfortably beaten in their first two games against Manchester City and Chelsea, Arsenal seem invigorated under Unai Emery - with Leno full of praise for the Spaniard after starting the last four league games.

He added: “The coach gives us much confidence to play like this and we train every day very hard with him, and in the videos as well. That’s the way we want to keep going.’’

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The Germany international has kept three clean sheets in eight games this season and will look to add to his tally when Arsenal host Sporting CP in the Europa League on Thursday evening.