Reds bigger than London duo, says Cisse

Liverpool new-boy Djibril Cisse has wasted no time in stoking the Premiership fires by claiming the Anfield outfit are bigger than Arsenal and Chelsea, even though they have not won the league title for 14 years.

The French forward completed his £14m (€20.8m) move from Auxerre yesterday determined to succeed where previous expensive Kop flops such as El Hadji Diouf and Salif Diou have failed.

With Gerard Houllier’s reign now over, former Valencia coach Rafael Benitez has been charged with turning Liverpool into a footballing powerhouse once more.

Since Houllier secured a trophy treble in 2001, the Anfield outfit has stagnated and while they secured a vital Champions League spot with a fourth-placed finish last term, the fact they finished an incredible 30 points adrift of champions Arsenal was more a cause for embarrassment than celebration.

Yet for Cisse, who finished top scorer in the French League last term with 26 goals in 38 games, Liverpool’s illustrious history means their name will continues to dwarf Arsenal and Chelsea, even though the London duo have been serial trophy winners over the past few seasons.

“Arsenal have won prizes but they are not as big a club as Liverpool,” he told www.liverpoolfc.tv

“I am sure people must agree that Liverpool are the big English club. The red shirt of Liverpool is famous, people know it. Do they know Chelsea’s shirt?

“I knew of Liverpool from when I was a little boy. They are a club with history, have won many trophies and I am proud to be joining them.

“I don’t think that people elsewhere will know Arsenal so well. Or Chelsea? I don’t think so. They know of Liverpool far more.”

Cisse learned today that his new team-mates will have an early 12.45pm kick-off to the Premiership season on August 14 when they head to Tottenham, who are embarking on a new era of their own under Jacques Santini.