Saturday 22 August 2015 17:28, UK
Hector Bellerin says Arsenal are expecting Liverpool to provide them with a much sterner test than last season when they visit the Emirates on Monday Night Football.
The young full-back opened the scoring in North London last time around as Arsene Wenger's side ran out 4-1 winners in April.
However, while he says Arsenal are in good shape going into the game, he is expecting an entirely different affair on Monday after Liverpool's business in the summer transfer market and early-season form which has seen them pick up maximum points and keep two clean sheets.
"They have signed some good players, it is going to be a totally different game and we are excited," Bellerin said.
"It is only the third game of the season so it is important that we do things well.
"We had a very good pre-season - a fantastic pre-season - we had a very good end to the year last year, so obviously there is a great atmosphere in the dressing room and the team is very excited."
Bellerin signed a new long-term deal last month and has been preferred to Mathieu Debuchy in the right-back position since the Frenchman's return from a shoulder injury in April.
"Mathieu Debuchy is back now so we know there is going to be a lot of competition but we all say that is a good thing," Bellerin said.
"Competition always makes you train harder and perform better because you know you have to give 100 percent otherwise you are going to be on the bench."
The 20-year-old also says Arsenal's only summer signing thus far, Petr Cech, inspires confidence in his defence and he has been keen to ask the former Chelsea goalkeeper for advice.
He added: "The confidence that he (Cech) gives you when he is in goal, he is a player who has lived a lot, he's won loads of trophies and is a legend of the Premier League so he has always got that piece of advice for you."
The Spanish defender says he and his Arsenal team-mates have also been going over the new interpretation of the offside rule following the controversy which surrounded Christian Benteke's goal for Liverpool against Bournemouth last week.
The Premier League had to confirm that the striker's close-range goal should not have been allowed to stand by referee Craig Pawson after Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho attempted to play the ball while standing in an offside position.
"We had advice from the coaches," Bellerin said. "It actually happened not long ago in training and they said this now is not allowed so it is good when these things happen so everyone knows what is going on otherwise there can be confusion.
"What is clear is that everyone needs to know what is going on so these things don't happen again."
Watch Arsenal v Liverpool live on Monday Night Football, 7pm, Sky Sports 1 HD
