"I only had this feeling in my career once" - Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta names Premier League rivals as toughest opponents he faced as a player

Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has named Liverpool as the toughest opponents he has faced during his time as a professional player.

The Spaniard, who was appointed Arsenal's head coach in December 2019, spent 12 seasons in the Premier League, operating as a central midfielder. He was winless at Anfield during his six-year stint for Everton and was triumphant against the Merseysiders only once during his time in north London.

Earlier last year, Arteta took speakers out to Colney's training ground to blast out Liverpool's famous You'll Never Walk Alone anthem to prepare his players for a trip to Anfield. The incident was captured for Amazon Prime's All or Nothing: Arsenal documentary series.

Speaking to Sky Sports, Arteta shed light on his feelings about facing Liverpool at Anfield as a professional footballer. He said:

"There is a word that we use in Spain for cycling. When a cyclist is going up a hill and looks amazing, and in one kilometre. he goes and looks like he's going to get stuck. There's a word we use, it’s pájara. I had this once at Anfield. The game was going well and then suddenly all I could see was red shirts flying around."

Sharing his thoughts on going up against the Reds, Arteta added:

"The game was passing all over me and I could not react. People will say, 'What is he doing?' and I think, 'I cannot do it, physically and emotionally, I cannot cope and everything goes too fast.' I only had this feeling in my career once and it was at Anfield."

Liverpool were on the losing side during their trip to the Emirates Stadium earlier in October, slumping to a 3-2 defeat in the Premier League. The Merseyside club are set to welcome Arteta's side to Anfield in April next year.

Kevin Campbell urges Arsenal to sign Liverpool-linked 2022 FIFA World Cup star

Speaking on Highbury Squad, former Arsenal striker Kevin Campbell claimed that France and Borussia Monchengladbach forward Marcus Thuram would be an ideal addition to the Gunners' squad. He said:

"I think he could be a good addition as someone who can play across the front and who can give us a bit of physical presence. Although Eddie [Nketiah] has been working on his physique, [Thuram is] somebody who is bigger, stronger, more physical."

Sharing his thoughts on Thuram's contract situation, Campbell added:

"He will keep defences on their toes, that's for sure. It will be a fair deal because it will be pretty cheap because he has only got six months left on his current contract, so it could be a good deal."

Thuram, 25, has registered 13 goals and four assists in 17 appearances across all competitions for the Bundesliga club this season.