With their chances of finishing the Premier League season unblemished now gone, Liverpool FC can play out the string much freer and looser.
“Tonight we were not good enough. It’s not now a plus for me that we look back years later and think Liverpool nearly did it. That’s not my main concern. You can’t change it,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said after his side was shockingly beaten, and beaten rather badly, by relegation fodder Watford.
“We were going to lose a game at some time, and we didn’t wait for it but it was clear it would happen,” the German continued.
“Tonight it happened and I see it rather positive that we got close to these records. Now we can play free football again and don’t have to try to get a record. We just have to try to win football games again, and that’s what we will do.”
Up next is a trip to Chelsea, for an all big six FA Cup clash where a quarterfinal berth is on the line. Klopp has a couple of fitness concerns for this one, as team captain Jordan Henderson is still out. Meanwhile midfielder, and once in awhile defender, James Milner is moving closer to match fitness.
Liverpool FC Starting XI Prediction
Adrian; Neco Williams, Van den Berg, Lovren, Lewis; Keita, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Elliott; Jones, Minamino, Origi.
Liverpool FC at Chelsea FA Cup Round of 16, FYIs
Kickoff: March 3, 7:45 pm, Stamford Bridge
Last Five Meetings: Liverpool wins 3, Draw 1, Chelsea wins 1
Aggregate Score: Chelsea (LLLDW) 6-8 Liverpool (WWWDL)
Chelsea Team News, Starting XI Prediction: go to this link
TV: BBC 1
Prediction: Liverpool 2, Chelsea 1
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” regularly appears on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
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