Arsenal Invincible Gilberto Silva has backed Liverpool to go on and do ‘marvellous things’ under Jurgen Klopp after Watford ended their unbeaten record at the weekend.
Watford produced a second-half masterclass at Vicarage Road as an inspired Ismaila Sarr completed a six-minute brace before Troy Deeney added a third with 20 minutes remaining of Saturday’s Premier League thriller.
The shock result brought an end to Liverpool’s 44-match unbeaten streak in the English top flight meaning Arsene Wenger’s iconic Arsenal side of 2003/04 stand alone as the only team to go an entire season unbeaten for another year.
Klopp played down his disappointment after the loss and speculated that the result could actually ease the pressure on his players, but Dejan Lovren admits the squad feel ‘ashamed’ about their performance.
On his reaction to Liverpool’s unbeaten record coming to an end, Arsenal hero Gilberto told The Times: ‘Liverpool came very close to the unbeaten record we hold with Arsenal. I have always said that one day it may happen and the way they have been playing, I was expecting them to do it.
‘For most people it was unexpected that they would lose at Watford but we are still there as No 1, and this is a very special achievement.
‘I was only talking about Arsenal’s Invincibles season last week over lunch with Jens Lehmann, our goalkeeper, and David Dein, who was vice-chairman. It is impossible not to talk about it. Every conversation I have with team-mates from that time is special.
‘Jens and I spoke about the training sessions, the approach of everyone, when someone was maybe not in the right mood for training we pushed each other. Jens talked to everyone.
If someone was not 100 per cent, he would ask why not and ask for more. He was never afraid to say things but in a positive way.
‘Compared to some games, our training sessions were even harder. Everyone trained to their limit, nobody at 80 or 90 per cent. Sometimes Arsène Wenger, our manager, had to calm us down. I had the feeling many times in the tunnel, the way some opponents looked at us, I knew straight away that we were going to win this game.’
Gilberto considers the league to be more competitive than when he lifted the trophy in 2004 and has applauded Liverpool on their ‘very special’ campaign.
‘We won the league with four games to go. We thought, “OK, let’s keep winning.” Arsene said that we could become a special team, not only winners but a team everyone would know went unbeaten,’ the former Brazil midfielder added.
‘I left the Premier League more than ten years ago. We won this in 2004. It’s such a long time and after the Liverpool game, “Arsenal the Invincibles” came into people’s minds. It gives us a good feeling that people will still talk about us for I don’t know how long.
‘Even though they did not break our record, what Liverpool have done this season is very special. It is not so easy with the competitors nowadays. They face Manchester City, who have done so well, and the Premier League is a competition where anything can happen.
‘Jurgen Klopp, his staff and the players have done a great job. They can still do marvellous things.’
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