Liverpool team news Brighton v Liverpool (Sat, 15:00 GMT) please log in to view this image Liverpool A quick team news update from Jurgen Klopp on the fitness of his squad. “Joel [Matip] trained yesterday for the first time with the team which is really good but we have to see and decide day-by-day. “Hendo [Jordan Henderson] will train today for the first time and see what that means exactly."
First then wanted to put chips in balls, and we said okay because of goal line technology. Then they wanted to put chips in players, and we said okay because of offsides. Then they put chips in everyone. #lizardpeople
11:15 'We have lost two games, not nice but not a real problem' Brighton v Liverpool (Sat, 15:00 GMT) please log in to view this image Liverpool Klopp is told this is the smallest-ever points gap at the top of the table at this stage of a Premier League season. “Statistics from the past have no relevance in the present. We don’t think about last season or 20 years ago," he said. “This is our season. It’s really good so far. Now we have to carry on. "Two weeks ago everyone was so excited about the distance between (us and City). Now we have lost two games, not nice but not a real problem."
KLOPP: BRIGHTON WILL BE TOUGH Brighton head into Saturday’s match unbeaten in their last four matches and Klopp is impressed with Chris Hughton’s achievements at the Amex Stadium on a relatively small budget. He said: “Outside of the top six it is a really tough place to go. The kind of defending they do and the style of play they have, it makes them special. “It’s really difficult in the Premier League to be in the position they are in and not have massive money. They do it really smart. “[Lewis] Dunk and [Shane] Duffy are outstanding centre-halves.”
Klopp on Fabinho at centre-back, Van Dijk form and squad depth https://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/333630-jurgen-klopp-fabinho-van-dijk-liverpool
So Fabinho could obviously play at the back, but Matip is to be looked at while training today. Not sure which way it will go.
We played with kids. The kids probably played as well as they can and weren't slacking off. It's not like we were anihalated either. A few calls going our way and a few slightly different bounces of the ball and the result could have been different.
If you have to rotate during a league game or an early round domestic cup game... You rotate for the cup game. I'd much rather lose a cup game than a League game. The two big prizes are the Premier League and the Champions League. Europa is a decent trophy too. That's where you focus if you don't have depth to challenge for everything. Of course you win the FA cup of you can, and you give it a little more effort if you're in the last 4 or so... But it's really not a big deal compared to the other two tournaments anymore. I'd rather challenge for league title than win the FA cup and not be in contention.
Brighton got a very fortunate but creditable draw against Arsenal. Who we then humiliated at their best. They beat Everton. Who doesn't? Everton are in between their two cup finals and couldn't care less. I take a 0-6 win now.