Interview

'You don't build a new identity overnight'

Arsenal v Liverpool has been the most regular game on the fixture list in recent months and, despite Monday's defeat, Hector Bellerin believes we are closing the gap on the champions.

Liverpool won 3-1 at Anfield to avenge their Community Shield loss to us at Wembley in August and their Premier League defeat at the Emirates in July. But we competed for long periods of the match and our Spanish right back says we're heading in the right direction.

 

"Definitely, I think we are working really, really well," he told Arsenal.com.

 

"I think when you build a new identity, a new way of playing football, it's not something that happens overnight. It's something that takes a lot of time, it takes losses, it takes wins, it takes a lot of learning.

 

"We've got new players that have come in this season and they need to get used to the system. So there's many things but I think we can say that the fight that we put out today, in that sense I'm very proud of the boys and you know, we'll look forward to the next game playing here.

 

"We know we're working really, really well so we're not going to let this affect us."

 

Bellerin has been a regular on the right since the new season got underway and, after easing his way back into first-team action after a long lay-off, he is feeling more like his old self.

 

"Yeah, I feel that coming back from my long-term injury was very difficult for me," he said.

 

"I felt like once I was back, my knee felt okay but really my body in general wasn't in the same place as it was pre-injury and I felt during lockdown I had the chance to focus on myself and do the dirty work, as you'd say.

 

"I've come back from it way stronger, I kept working through the summer and now I feel like I'm back to how I felt two minutes before that injury. So yeah, for me it feels good. But the most important thing is that the team is playing better and better every day and that's what makes me happy."