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Gini Wijnaldum says Liverpool’s players must learn to deal with great expectations as they prepare to get their Premier League campaign underway.

The Reds begin their season away at Arsenal next Sunday, an immediate test against a team that will have big ambitions heading into 2016/17

Liverpool’s pre-season preparations concluded with a mixed bag of a weekend, a 4-0 win over Barcelona at Wembley on Saturday followed by a thrashing by the same scoreline at Mainz 24 hours later. Wijnaldum started the former and came off the bench in the latter.

And the Dutchman, a £25m summer signing from Newcastle, says Jurgen Klopp’s side must go into the season confident.

“If you play for Liverpool expectations will always be there,” Wijnaldum said. “We have to get used to it.

“It’s a big club. It’s great. After the game at Wembley we were walking around to thank the fans. But they told me there were so many fans in the Europa League final too, that there were 70 per cent Liverpool fans. We have a lot of supporters, true supporters, who are always behind the team.

“We’re going to try and perform good, game by game. We don’t play to surprise people. We play to win games. How people think, we cant control that, the focus is not on surprising people, only on the things we can control, the way we train and the way we play on the field.

“You must not think about the title. You must think game by game and deliver. Then at the end of the season you will know where you’re going to stand. It’s not good to look to far ahead.”

Wijnaldum’s arrival at Anfield is designed to boost the dynamism and goal threat of Klopp’s side. And with Sadio Mane, another close-season acquisition, shining at Wembley, the 25-year-old believes Liverpool are ready to go at the Emirates next weekend.

“These kind of games give you a lot of confidence of course because you win against a big opponent,” he said. “But we’ve got to make sure we are going to do this against Arsenal.

“Not every game is the same. We tried to put high pressing and things like that. We have to make sure we do that also against Arsenal.

“Last season when I played against Liverpool it (the style of football) wasn’t that different. It’s a new style of playing for me. Maybe it will take time to get used to.

“We are trying to press high. Everyone has to defend everyone. You are not marking only one player. You are responsible for everyone.”