Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool to stay motivated to reach their target of a place in next season&#39;s Champions League by the end of the season.

Klopp has acknowledged ahead of Liverpool&#39;s clash with bottom side Swansea at Anfield on Tuesday that a Premier League title challenge is beyond them given they trail leaders Manchester City by 20 points.

But the German believes there is still plenty for the fourth-placed Reds to play for and they should not get complacent just because City are so far ahead.

&quot;We have to qualify for the Champions League. We have to finish as high as possible,&quot; Klopp said.

&quot;It looks like we could be second, third or fourth this year, that&#39;s a fantastic situation. Not the dream but a fantastic situation.&nbsp;

&quot;That&#39;s what we are working on and for this we have to improve in all departments.

&quot;This year, I don&#39;t think that anyone apart from Manchester City and maybe Manchester United are thinking too much about how they can win the league.

&quot;In a very difficult league, performance-wise we are really consistent so far. If we stay consistent and avoid our mistakes, mistakes like in the 3-3 draw with Arsenal, we will win much more games than we lose or draw.

&quot;As it was and so it will be against Swansea, we have to perform first of all and then we have to see how the other team can react.&quot;

Even though Swansea are at the foot of the table, Klopp does not want his players to assume the result will be a foregone conclusion.

&quot;They are under pressure and that&#39;s clear because they fight for the league, 100 per cent, and that will not change before Boxing Day,&quot; Klopp added.

&quot;But we will be ready and we will perform, if possible, like against Arsenal but avoid the mistakes we made.&nbsp;

&quot;I don&#39;t really remember the game from last year, to be honest. I remember that we lost it. But that&#39;s not the plan!&quot;

Step by step 
Klopp confirmed Liverpool will be without captain Jordan Henderson after he limped out of their 3-3 draw with Arsenal last Friday.

Defender Joel Matip could be fit enough to feature after he recently returning to training following a muscle injury while striker Daniel Sturridge has recovered from illness.

Alberto Moreno (ankle) and Nathanial Clyne (back) remain on the sidelines.

Swansea caretaker manager Leon Britton will take charge of his second game following the sacking of Paul Clement last week.

Britton is a modern-day Swansea great with more than 500 appearances to his name, and guided the club to a 1-1 draw in his first match against Crystal Palace.

A match against free-scoring Liverpool at Anfield, however, will present a somewhat more difficult prospect for the South Wales club.

Swansea striker Jordan Ayew admits the draw against Palace, in which he scored, has helped them take at least some confidence into the trip to Merseyside.

&quot;We all have a job to do. I think we responded well,&quot; Ayew said. &quot;We will take it day by day and see what happens in the future.

&quot;We will do our best to get something out of the game against Liverpool. We will build step by step and things will get better. It is important for us to get a good result.&quot;

Swansea will give a fitness test to striker Wilfried Bony (hamstring) and midfielder Leroy Fer (back), who both missed the game against Palace.

Liverpool are currently fourth in the league

Jurgen Klopp has urged Liverpool to stay motivated to reach their target of a place in next season's Champions League by the end of the season. Klopp has acknowledged ahead of Liverpool's clash with bottom side Swansea at Anfield on Tuesday that a Premier League title challenge is beyond them given they trail leaders Manchester City by 20 points. But the German believes there is still plenty for the fourth-placed Reds to play for and they should not get complacent just because City are so far ahead. "We have to qualify for the Champions League. We have to finish as high as possible," Klopp said. "It looks like we could be second, third or fourth this year, that's a fantastic situation. Not the dream but a fantastic situation. "That's what we are working on and for this we have to improve in all departments. "This year, I don't think that anyone apart from Manchester City and maybe Manchester United are thinking too much about how they can win the league. "In a very difficult league, performance-wise we are really consistent so far. If we stay consistent and avoid our mistakes, mistakes like in the 3-3 draw with Arsenal, we will win much more games than we lose or draw. "As it was and so it will be against Swansea, we have to perform first of all and then we have to see how the other team can react." Even though Swansea are at the foot of the table, Klopp does not want his players to assume the result will be a foregone conclusion. "They are under pressure and that's clear because they fight for the league, 100 per cent, and that will not change before Boxing Day," Klopp added. "But we will be ready and we will perform, if possible, like against Arsenal but avoid the mistakes we made. "I don't really remember the game from last year, to be honest. I remember that we lost it. But that's not the plan!" Step by step Klopp confirmed Liverpool will be without captain Jordan Henderson after he limped out of their 3-3 draw with Arsenal last Friday. Defender Joel Matip could be fit enough to feature after he recently returning to training following a muscle injury while striker Daniel Sturridge has recovered from illness. Alberto Moreno (ankle) and Nathanial Clyne (back) remain on the sidelines. Swansea caretaker manager Leon Britton will take charge of his second game following the sacking of Paul Clement last week. Britton is a modern-day Swansea great with more than 500 appearances to his name, and guided the club to a 1-1 draw in his first match against Crystal Palace. A match against free-scoring Liverpool at Anfield, however, will present a somewhat more difficult prospect for the South Wales club. Swansea striker Jordan Ayew admits the draw against Palace, in which he scored, has helped them take at least some confidence into the trip to Merseyside. "We all have a job to do. I think we responded well," Ayew said. "We will take it day by day and see what happens in the future. "We will do our best to get something out of the game against Liverpool. We will build step by step and things will get better. It is important for us to get a good result." Swansea will give a fitness test to striker Wilfried Bony (hamstring) and midfielder Leroy Fer (back), who both missed the game against Palace.

Klopp: Premier League title beyond us, play for Champions League place

Liverpool must learn to switch off their attacking flair and tighten up defensively in certain situations to prevent opponents from scoring, midfielder James Milner said after Friday`s frantic 3-3 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League.

Liverpool held a 1-0 lead at half-time and made it 2-0 early in the second half but their defensive frailties were exposed once again as Arsenal scored thrice in five minutes to take the lead before Roberto Firmino equalised in the 71st minute.

&quot;We`ve got to be more boring. Obviously, we`re very good going forward but those are the times in the game when you`ve got to tighten up, not make mistakes for those five minutes,&quot; Milner said.&nbsp;

&quot;All the goals were our fault, really, and that`s something we have to learn from and we need to do it quick,&nbsp;because it seems to be a thing for us this year.

&quot;We play such good football and sometimes we just need to switch that off for five to 10 minutes in a game and learn about the game, since the situations when it`s time to take it easy, play a bit tighter and keep the ball...&quot;

Liverpool`s poor defending has constantly negated their free-flowing attack this season with the team hosting prolific goalscorers in Mohamed Salah, Phillipe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Firmino, but failing to keep the door shut on their opponents.

Juergen Klopp`s side sits 17 points behind league leaders Manchester City in the fourth position, having conceded the most goals among the league`s top four teams.

Liverpool held a 1-0 lead at half-time and made it 2-0 early in the second half before Arsenal scored thrice in five minutes

Liverpool must learn to switch off their attacking flair and tighten up defensively in certain situations to prevent opponents from scoring, midfielder James Milner said after Friday`s frantic 3-3 draw with Arsenal in the Premier League. Liverpool held a 1-0 lead at half-time and made it 2-0 early in the second half but their defensive frailties were exposed once again as Arsenal scored thrice in five minutes to take the lead before Roberto Firmino equalised in the 71st minute. "We`ve got to be more boring. Obviously, we`re very good going forward but those are the times in the game when you`ve got to tighten up, not make mistakes for those five minutes," Milner said. "All the goals were our fault, really, and that`s something we have to learn from and we need to do it quick, because it seems to be a thing for us this year. "We play such good football and sometimes we just need to switch that off for five to 10 minutes in a game and learn about the game, since the situations when it`s time to take it easy, play a bit tighter and keep the ball..." Liverpool`s poor defending has constantly negated their free-flowing attack this season with the team hosting prolific goalscorers in Mohamed Salah, Phillipe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Firmino, but failing to keep the door shut on their opponents. Juergen Klopp`s side sits 17 points behind league leaders Manchester City in the fourth position, having conceded the most goals among the league`s top four teams.

James Milner urges Liverpool to become 'more boring' after Arsenal draw

Jurgen Klopp admitted on Tuesday that he got caught up in the heat of the moment after Liverpool conceded a late penalty to draw at home with Everton.

The Liverpool boss is known for his animated reactions but his behaviour came under extra scrutiny after a tetchy television interview minutes after Everton secured a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Sunday with a spot-kick he felt should not have been given.

Klopp`s cantankerous mood did not improve in his press conference later when his request for a show of hands from those who disagreed with him was met with the majority of the room responding.

However, the German insists he was just offering a genuine response and has no regrets about how it played out.

&quot;I would give the same interview now,&quot; he said. &quot;The information I had to give would be the same but now I am completely relaxed, but it was five minutes after the game and I was not relaxed.&quot;

&quot;It is nothing. I didn`t use any words I have to take back. I don`t like it but I am pretty sure I cannot change it because I felt like this in this moment and I am not an actor. I cannot act differently.&quot;

Klopp`s team selection -- with Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino on the bench -- came under scrutiny after Everton claimed a point, but he has been rotating his players for several weeks to keep them fresh during a busy period.

Last year Liverpool fell apart in January, winning just one FA Cup game, as injuries scuppered an unlikely title bid. With Champions League football to contend with this season, Klopp is trying to avoid a repeat scenario.

So far he has made 59 changes to his starting 11 this season. Only Manchester United in 2002 have made more in Premier League history at this stage of the campaign.

&quot;If we had the squad last year we would have done it last year,&quot; said Klopp, set to make more changes for the visit of West Brom on Wednesday.

&quot;You cannot play the same 11 players all the time until four are injured and then you hope the other four who come in -- who are quality but have no rhythm -- will perform for you. 
&quot;That is not likely.&quot;

Klopp insists he was just offering a genuine response and has no regrets about how it played out

Jurgen Klopp admitted on Tuesday that he got caught up in the heat of the moment after Liverpool conceded a late penalty to draw at home with Everton. The Liverpool boss is known for his animated reactions but his behaviour came under extra scrutiny after a tetchy television interview minutes after Everton secured a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Sunday with a spot-kick he felt should not have been given. Klopp`s cantankerous mood did not improve in his press conference later when his request for a show of hands from those who disagreed with him was met with the majority of the room responding. However, the German insists he was just offering a genuine response and has no regrets about how it played out. "I would give the same interview now," he said. "The information I had to give would be the same but now I am completely relaxed, but it was five minutes after the game and I was not relaxed." "It is nothing. I didn`t use any words I have to take back. I don`t like it but I am pretty sure I cannot change it because I felt like this in this moment and I am not an actor. I cannot act differently." Klopp`s team selection -- with Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino on the bench -- came under scrutiny after Everton claimed a point, but he has been rotating his players for several weeks to keep them fresh during a busy period. Last year Liverpool fell apart in January, winning just one FA Cup game, as injuries scuppered an unlikely title bid. With Champions League football to contend with this season, Klopp is trying to avoid a repeat scenario. So far he has made 59 changes to his starting 11 this season. Only Manchester United in 2002 have made more in Premier League history at this stage of the campaign. "If we had the squad last year we would have done it last year," said Klopp, set to make more changes for the visit of West Brom on Wednesday. "You cannot play the same 11 players all the time until four are injured and then you hope the other four who come in -- who are quality but have no rhythm -- will perform for you. "That is not likely."

Jurgen Klopp admits passions ruled after derby draw

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With Manchester United having cut the gap with league leaders Manchester City to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola&#39;s side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory.

US warns North Korean leadership will be 'utterly destroyed' if war breaks out The United States warned the North Korean leadership that it would be "utterly destroyed" if war were to break out, after Pyongyang test-fired its most advanced intercontinental ballistic missile, putting the US mainland within range. Now, Assam's Brahmaputra river also turns black: Report After reports that the colour of the water of the river Siang in Arunachal Pradesh turned black, comes a report that the water downstream of the river Brahmaputra in Assam has changed to black as well. Trump attacks British PM May after she criticises his retweeting of anti-Islam videos Donald Trump hit back publicly at British Prime Minister Theresa May after she criticised his retweeting of anti-Islam videos. Bosnian-Croat war crimes convict dies after taking 'poison' in court: Report A Bosnian Croat wartime commander died after swallowing what he said was poison in a UN war crimes courtroom on Wednesday after losing an appeal against a 20-year prison sentence, Croatian state TV said. EPL: League leaders Manchester City win, chasers keep chasing With Manchester United having cut the gap with league leaders Manchester City to five points and Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool winning, any City stutter would have been cause for celebration. But Pep Guardiola's side thundered on with a club record 12th successive league victory.

WION morning news brief, November 30, 2017

Sevilla&#39;s Argentine coach Eduardo Berizzo has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the club confirmed on Wednesday, just hours after his side staged a remarkable comeback against Liverpool in the Champions League.

&quot;The medical services of Sevilla FC can inform that the coach of the first team, Eduardo Berizzo, has been diagnosed with an adenocarcinoma of the prostate,&quot; the club said in a statement.

&quot;Further tests will determine which steps to follow regarding his treatment.

&quot;Sevilla FC wants to show their full support to the coach right now and wishes him a speedy recovery.&quot;

Berizzo, 48, made no statement on his health when speaking to media after the Spanish side came from 3-0 down at half-time to draw 3-3 against the five-time European champions.

A former center-back for River Plate, Marseille, and Celta Vigo among others, Berizzo is in his first season as Sevilla boss after three successful years in charge of Celta.

Several Sevilla players had hailed Berizzo&#39;s powers of motivation to orchestrate their second-half fightback.

&quot;We had to come out with a different attitude for the fans and for the boss, he made us play like that,&quot; said Argentine international Ever Banega.

&quot;He turned the situation around in the second-half.&quot;

Sevilla came from 3-0 down at half-time to draw 3-3 against Liverpool in their Champions League match early Wednesday morning

Sevilla's Argentine coach Eduardo Berizzo has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the club confirmed on Wednesday, just hours after his side staged a remarkable comeback against Liverpool in the Champions League. "The medical services of Sevilla FC can inform that the coach of the first team, Eduardo Berizzo, has been diagnosed with an adenocarcinoma of the prostate," the club said in a statement. "Further tests will determine which steps to follow regarding his treatment. "Sevilla FC wants to show their full support to the coach right now and wishes him a speedy recovery." Berizzo, 48, made no statement on his health when speaking to media after the Spanish side came from 3-0 down at half-time to draw 3-3 against the five-time European champions. A former center-back for River Plate, Marseille, and Celta Vigo among others, Berizzo is in his first season as Sevilla boss after three successful years in charge of Celta. Several Sevilla players had hailed Berizzo's powers of motivation to orchestrate their second-half fightback. "We had to come out with a different attitude for the fans and for the boss, he made us play like that," said Argentine international Ever Banega. "He turned the situation around in the second-half."

Hours after Sevilla comeback, coach Eduardo Berizzo diagnosed with cancer

Liverpool has overcome the instability that contributed to their inconsistent start to the season, manager Juergen Klopp said ahead of Tuesday&#39;s Champions League clash at Sevilla.

A victory in Spain will guarantee Group E leaders Liverpool passage into the knockout stage and Klopp&#39;s side head into the game high on confidence after three successive victories in the Premier League.

&quot;It&#39;s getting really exciting and decisive -- and that&#39;s really cool,&quot; Klopp said. &quot;We&#39;ve had 12 (league) games this season, that&#39;s not even a third of the season, so we have to learn from our experiences and build on our performances.

&quot;That&#39;s what we did in the last few weeks and now what we have to do in the next few weeks... to get points you need to play stable football and that&#39;s what we were lacking. Now it looks much more stable and that was really important for us.&quot;

Liverpool&#39;s blistering form in front of goal has stemmed from the understanding between Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah with the attacking foursome limiting striker Daniel Sturridge&#39;s game time.

However, Klopp said the England international will have a part to play as the season wears on and he was not thinking of selling him in the January transfer window.

&quot;I can imagine a player with his quality is not happy that he is not starting all the time,&quot; Klopp added. &quot;The situation with the player is completely okay. We are in November and need all our players -- even if he feels a little different.

&quot;There is around one-and-a-half months before the window opens and I don&#39;t think about things like this. There are so many games before then and I need all of them (players).&quot;

Klopp will be without defender Joel Matip on Tuesday and hopes he will recover from a thigh strain in time for the visit of Chelsea on Saturday.

Liverpool, who were held to a 2-2 draw by the Spanish side in their opening clash in Europe in September and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at Spartak Moscow, thrashed Maribor 7-0 and 3-0 in their next two games to top Group E.

Liverpool take on Sevilla early Wednesday morning at 1.15 am India Standard Time

Liverpool has overcome the instability that contributed to their inconsistent start to the season, manager Juergen Klopp said ahead of Tuesday's Champions League clash at Sevilla. A victory in Spain will guarantee Group E leaders Liverpool passage into the knockout stage and Klopp's side head into the game high on confidence after three successive victories in the Premier League. "It's getting really exciting and decisive -- and that's really cool," Klopp said. "We've had 12 (league) games this season, that's not even a third of the season, so we have to learn from our experiences and build on our performances. "That's what we did in the last few weeks and now what we have to do in the next few weeks... to get points you need to play stable football and that's what we were lacking. Now it looks much more stable and that was really important for us." Liverpool's blistering form in front of goal has stemmed from the understanding between Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah with the attacking foursome limiting striker Daniel Sturridge's game time. However, Klopp said the England international will have a part to play as the season wears on and he was not thinking of selling him in the January transfer window. "I can imagine a player with his quality is not happy that he is not starting all the time," Klopp added. "The situation with the player is completely okay. We are in November and need all our players -- even if he feels a little different. "There is around one-and-a-half months before the window opens and I don't think about things like this. There are so many games before then and I need all of them (players)." Klopp will be without defender Joel Matip on Tuesday and hopes he will recover from a thigh strain in time for the visit of Chelsea on Saturday. Liverpool, who were held to a 2-2 draw by the Spanish side in their opening clash in Europe in September and followed that up with a 1-1 draw at Spartak Moscow, thrashed Maribor 7-0 and 3-0 in their next two games to top Group E.

Champions League: Klopp says Liverpool have overcome early instability

Juergen Klopp&#39;s Liverpool have been breathtaking and infuriating in equal measure this season, but it all came together on Tuesday as they displayed their devastating attacking prowess in a 7-0 victory against Maribor.

As has been the case too often this season, Liverpool&#39;s opening two Champions League draws against Sevilla and Spartak Moscow were characterised by both defensive fragility and attacking frustration.

Yet from the moment Roberto Firmino opened the scoring in the fourth minute against the Slovenian side, Liverpool cut through the hosts&#39; defence with irrepressible vim and vigour and ended up recording the biggest away win by an English team in European Cup history.

The first half was only 19 minutes old by the time Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah added their names to the scoresheet -- the latter then netting his second, and the team&#39;s fourth, in the 39th minute.

By the time Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai blew the final whistle, Firmino, substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and defender Trent Alexander-Arnold had scored second-half goals.

&quot;Our attitude was outstanding, we were spot on from the first second,&quot; Klopp told BT Sport.

&quot;We scored wonderful goals, played wonderful football and it looked like they were not very good, but it is difficult to play against us.

&quot;I love the fact we stayed really concentrated in the second half, we controlled the game and it was a very mature performance.

&quot;You can struggle in a game like this if you do not have a 100 percent attitude... Seven goals was wonderful, but the counter pressing I was close to celebrating it, it was so good. They are a really good football team and they could not cope with this.&quot;

Such are Liverpool&#39;s attacking options at present, dynamic England midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain has had to be content with a place on the bench since his arrival from Arsenal in August.

&quot;We were very clinical and putting almost all of our chances away,&quot; the midfielder said. &quot;It feels like we have a lot of goals in us, we create a lot of chances.

&quot;This is a competitive team, we have had a few results that have not gone our way, and I&#39;m ready whenever I get an opportunity.&quot;

With five points, Liverpool -- who welcome Maribor to Anfield next month -- lead Group E on goal difference from Spartak Moscow, while Sevilla are one point further adrift in third.

Roberto Firmino opened the scoring against the Slovenian side Maribor in the fourth minute

Juergen Klopp's Liverpool have been breathtaking and infuriating in equal measure this season, but it all came together on Tuesday as they displayed their devastating attacking prowess in a 7-0 victory against Maribor. As has been the case too often this season, Liverpool's opening two Champions League draws against Sevilla and Spartak Moscow were characterised by both defensive fragility and attacking frustration. Yet from the moment Roberto Firmino opened the scoring in the fourth minute against the Slovenian side, Liverpool cut through the hosts' defence with irrepressible vim and vigour and ended up recording the biggest away win by an English team in European Cup history. The first half was only 19 minutes old by the time Philippe Coutinho and Mohamed Salah added their names to the scoresheet -- the latter then netting his second, and the team's fourth, in the 39th minute. By the time Hungarian referee Viktor Kassai blew the final whistle, Firmino, substitute Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and defender Trent Alexander-Arnold had scored second-half goals. "Our attitude was outstanding, we were spot on from the first second," Klopp told BT Sport. "We scored wonderful goals, played wonderful football and it looked like they were not very good, but it is difficult to play against us. "I love the fact we stayed really concentrated in the second half, we controlled the game and it was a very mature performance. "You can struggle in a game like this if you do not have a 100 percent attitude... Seven goals was wonderful, but the counter pressing I was close to celebrating it, it was so good. They are a really good football team and they could not cope with this." Such are Liverpool's attacking options at present, dynamic England midfielder Oxlade-Chamberlain has had to be content with a place on the bench since his arrival from Arsenal in August. "We were very clinical and putting almost all of our chances away," the midfielder said. "It feels like we have a lot of goals in us, we create a lot of chances. "This is a competitive team, we have had a few results that have not gone our way, and I'm ready whenever I get an opportunity." With five points, Liverpool -- who welcome Maribor to Anfield next month -- lead Group E on goal difference from Spartak Moscow, while Sevilla are one point further adrift in third.

Champions League: Liverpool thrash Maribor

Liverpool&nbsp;manager Juergen&nbsp;Klopp&nbsp;believes his side have the&nbsp;depth&nbsp;in the&nbsp;squad&nbsp;to compete in&nbsp;different&nbsp;competitions&nbsp;but did not rule out signing reinforcements in January.

Having missed out on Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk,&nbsp;Klopp&nbsp;brought in Mohammad Salah, Dominic Solanke, Andrew Robertson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the close season.

Ahead of the team&#39;s trip to Leicester City for their League Cup third round clash, the German said he was happy with the personnel at his disposal &quot;at the moment&quot;.

&quot;From today&#39;s perspective, yes - we will see how it is in January,&quot; he told the club&#39;s website (www.liverpoolfc.com).

&quot;I think the&nbsp;squad&nbsp;is wide enough to play in&nbsp;different&nbsp;competitions&nbsp;and to come as far as possible and that&#39;s the plan at the moment.&quot;

Questions have been raised about&nbsp;Liverpool&#39;s back line which&nbsp;has&nbsp;leaked nine goals in five league games. They lost 5-0 to Manchester City before the weekend&#39;s 1-1 draw with Burnley.

The club&#39;s defensive frailties were also exposed in the 2-2 draw with Sevilla in the Champions League last week but&nbsp;Klopp&nbsp;said there was no need to panic.

&quot;We will see how it is in January but, in this moment, I feel comfortable when I think aboutdifferent&nbsp;opportunities to use the players and to bring the players in&nbsp;different&nbsp;games,&quot; he said.

Klopp&nbsp;said Oxlade-Chamberlain&#39;s switch to Merseyside from Arsenal made &quot;complete sense&quot; and that the England international had been roped in as a long-term prospect.

&quot;A new start is... kind of a relief. You are in a situation in your old club... and you accept it at some point and then it&#39;s difficult to make the next step,&quot;&nbsp;Klopp&nbsp;said.

&quot;I thought it made complete sense for Alex to change club, especially to come here. So far, I can see that he&nbsp;has&nbsp;settled in perfectly.&quot;

Having missed out on Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk,?Klopp?brought in Mohammad Salah, Dominic Solanke, Andrew Robertson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the close season.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp believes his side have the depth in the squad to compete in different competitions but did not rule out signing reinforcements in January. Having missed out on Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk, Klopp brought in Mohammad Salah, Dominic Solanke, Andrew Robertson and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in the close season. Ahead of the team's trip to Leicester City for their League Cup third round clash, the German said he was happy with the personnel at his disposal "at the moment". "From today's perspective, yes - we will see how it is in January," he told the club's website (www.liverpoolfc.com). "I think the squad is wide enough to play in different competitions and to come as far as possible and that's the plan at the moment." Questions have been raised about Liverpool's back line which has leaked nine goals in five league games. They lost 5-0 to Manchester City before the weekend's 1-1 draw with Burnley. The club's defensive frailties were also exposed in the 2-2 draw with Sevilla in the Champions League last week but Klopp said there was no need to panic. "We will see how it is in January but, in this moment, I feel comfortable when I think aboutdifferent opportunities to use the players and to bring the players in different games," he said. Klopp said Oxlade-Chamberlain's switch to Merseyside from Arsenal made "complete sense" and that the England international had been roped in as a long-term prospect. "A new start is... kind of a relief. You are in a situation in your old club... and you accept it at some point and then it's difficult to make the next step," Klopp said. "I thought it made complete sense for Alex to change club, especially to come here. So far, I can see that he has settled in perfectly."

Liverpool squad has depth for different competitions, says Klopp

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could not pinpoint the reason behind his team&#39;s 4-0 drubbing by Liverpool at Anfield as the London club sunk to its worst defeat in the English Premier League.

A disconsolate Wenger said,&quot;Given our first two games, our performances were quite good, but today the performance was not acceptable at that level.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;I think from the first minute to the last minute we were not at the level requested for such a game,&quot; he added.

Wenger has been under fire from the Arsenal board who want the club to at least finish in the top-3 so that the beleaguered London giants can remain in the lucrative European Championships but the abject performance at Anfield has clouded the club&#39;s hope to remain in Europe early in the season.

&quot;Not physically, not technically, not mentally and we were punished. That&#39;s basically it,&quot; Wenger said.

&quot;Of course, you can analyse the chances we gave away, but I just think overall the performance was not at the requested level.&quot;

Arsenal who finished second best to Leicester City last season lagging by 10 points failed in almost every department of the game on Sunday against Liverpool.

&quot;Last season I said that after 30 games. Now we have played three games. We have played one home game and two away games. The result is a consequence of our performance,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;We were not good enough,&quot; Wenger felt. 
&nbsp;

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could not pinpoint the reason behind his team's 4-0 drubbing by Liverpool at Anfield

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could not pinpoint the reason behind his team's 4-0 drubbing by Liverpool at Anfield as the London club sunk to its worst defeat in the English Premier League. A disconsolate Wenger said,"Given our first two games, our performances were quite good, but today the performance was not acceptable at that level." "I think from the first minute to the last minute we were not at the level requested for such a game," he added. Wenger has been under fire from the Arsenal board who want the club to at least finish in the top-3 so that the beleaguered London giants can remain in the lucrative European Championships but the abject performance at Anfield has clouded the club's hope to remain in Europe early in the season. "Not physically, not technically, not mentally and we were punished. That's basically it," Wenger said. "Of course, you can analyse the chances we gave away, but I just think overall the performance was not at the requested level." Arsenal who finished second best to Leicester City last season lagging by 10 points failed in almost every department of the game on Sunday against Liverpool. "Last season I said that after 30 games. Now we have played three games. We have played one home game and two away games. The result is a consequence of our performance," he said. "We were not good enough," Wenger felt.

We were punished, says Wenger after Liverpool humiliation

Emre Can scored twice as Liverpool defeated Hoffenheim 4-2 in the second leg of Wednesday&#39;s play-off to complete a 6-3 aggregate victory and qualify for the Champions League group stage.

Leading 2-1 from the first leg, a first-half brace from Germany international Emre Can either side of a Mohamed Salah goal put five-time European champions Liverpool 3-0 up at Anfield.

Mark Uth gave Hoffenheim a glimmer of hope but Roberto Firmino converted Liverpool&#39;s fourth just beyond the hour with Sandro Wagner&#39;s late header scant consolation for the visitors.

Leading 2-1 from the first leg, a first-half brace from Germany international Can either side of a Mohamed Salah goal put five-time European champions Liverpool 3-0 up at Anfield.

Emre Can scored twice as Liverpool defeated Hoffenheim 4-2 in the second leg of Wednesday's play-off to complete a 6-3 aggregate victory and qualify for the Champions League group stage. Leading 2-1 from the first leg, a first-half brace from Germany international Emre Can either side of a Mohamed Salah goal put five-time European champions Liverpool 3-0 up at Anfield. Mark Uth gave Hoffenheim a glimmer of hope but Roberto Firmino converted Liverpool's fourth just beyond the hour with Sandro Wagner's late header scant consolation for the visitors.

Football: Liverpool qualify for Champions League group stage

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp feels his team can challenge the best teams in the Premier League this season as Liverpool prepares to take on German champions Bayern Munich in a pre-season Audi Cup at the Allianz Arena today.

&quot;Yes, we will be playing for the championship,&quot; Klopp declared.

&quot;We don&#39;t start a season by not having any ambitions. We have to have our goals and I think we have a very good team now. We did have a bit of bad luck last season. I think we can play a little bit better.

&quot;Let&#39;s hope everything will work very well and that there isn&#39;t much more to improve. We have to work very hard on it and we&#39;re doing that.&quot;

Liverpool had finished 17 points behind champions Chelsea in the last season even though they had made a great start to the season.

Klopp has is trying hard to build a &quot;winning team&quot;, he recently warned Barcelona to keep away from Philippe Coutinho even though the Catalan giants are ready to break the bank to sign-up the &nbsp;Brazilian playmaker.

&quot;If I say he is not for selling, he is not for selling,&quot; the German told the British media last week.&nbsp;

&quot;There is nothing else to say. It&#39;s a club decision, it&#39;s my decision. That&#39;s how it is,&quot; Klopp insisted.

Liverpool has never won the English Premiership but have finished runner-up thrice - 2001, 2008 &amp; 2013. Liverpool probably misses a player of the caliber and talent of Michael Owen and Luis Su&aacute;rez who were top scorers in the league when Liverpool was at its&nbsp;peak.

Klopp will have to prove to his critics his team has the mettle to last the entire nine grueling months and not fall away like they did after January in the last season. 
&nbsp;

Klopp is trying hard to build a 'winning team', he recently warned Barcelona to keep away from Philippe Coutinho

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp feels his team can challenge the best teams in the Premier League this season as Liverpool prepares to take on German champions Bayern Munich in a pre-season Audi Cup at the Allianz Arena today. "Yes, we will be playing for the championship," Klopp declared. "We don't start a season by not having any ambitions. We have to have our goals and I think we have a very good team now. We did have a bit of bad luck last season. I think we can play a little bit better. "Let's hope everything will work very well and that there isn't much more to improve. We have to work very hard on it and we're doing that." Liverpool had finished 17 points behind champions Chelsea in the last season even though they had made a great start to the season. Klopp has is trying hard to build a "winning team", he recently warned Barcelona to keep away from Philippe Coutinho even though the Catalan giants are ready to break the bank to sign-up the Brazilian playmaker. "If I say he is not for selling, he is not for selling," the German told the British media last week. "There is nothing else to say. It's a club decision, it's my decision. That's how it is," Klopp insisted. Liverpool has never won the English Premiership but have finished runner-up thrice - 2001, 2008 & 2013. Liverpool probably misses a player of the caliber and talent of Michael Owen and Luis Suárez who were top scorers in the league when Liverpool was at its peak. Klopp will have to prove to his critics his team has the mettle to last the entire nine grueling months and not fall away like they did after January in the last season.

We will be playing for the Premier League title, says Liverpool manager

With <a href="http://www.wionews.com/football/real-madrid-beat-juventus-to-win-champions-league-16396">Real Madrid defeating Juventus</a>&nbsp;in the Champions League final last week, we turn our attention to next season&#39;s European club competitions. Who&#39;s qualified so far from the major football leagues?

<a href="https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedcl2017.html">22&nbsp;teams</a> have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. 57 teams in total will be fighting to qualify for the remaining 10 places in the group stages.&nbsp;Five teams, including Liverpool and Napoli,&nbsp;will be going into the 4th round of qualifiers for the competition.

The first round of qualifying for the Champions League <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/newsid=2435148.html">starts on</a> June 27, 2017.&nbsp;The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 23, 2017, with the draw to take place on August 24, 2017.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/rEJVsV2.png" style="margin:0 auto;width: 350px;height:auto;" />

<a href="https://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/seedel2017.html">16 teams</a> have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, including big names such as Arsenal and AC Milan. A&nbsp;total of 141 teams will be in qualifiers, fighting&nbsp;for the remaining 32&nbsp;places in the group stages. The first round of qualifying <a href="http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/news/newsid=2435180.html">starts on</a> June 19, 2017.&nbsp;The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 24, 2017.

<img src="http://i.imgur.com/uGFpuJa.png" style="margin:0 auto;width: 350px;height:auto;" />

With the Champions League over, we turn our attention to next season's European competitions and who'll be playing in them

With Real Madrid defeating Juventus in the Champions League final last week, we turn our attention to next season's European club competitions. Who's qualified so far from the major football leagues? 22 teams have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Champions League. 57 teams in total will be fighting to qualify for the remaining 10 places in the group stages. Five teams, including Liverpool and Napoli, will be going into the 4th round of qualifiers for the competition. The first round of qualifying for the Champions League starts on June 27, 2017. The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 23, 2017, with the draw to take place on August 24, 2017. 16 teams have qualified directly for the 2017-18 UEFA Europa League, including big names such as Arsenal and AC Milan. A total of 141 teams will be in qualifiers, fighting for the remaining 32 places in the group stages. The first round of qualifying starts on June 19, 2017. The final line-up for the group stages will be determined on August 24, 2017.

Football: Who's qualified for Europe next season?

Christian&nbsp;Benteke&#39;s double for Crystal Palace against his old club Liverpool dealt perhaps a fatal blow to their hopes of Champions League football whilst boosting Manchester United&#39;s chances on Sunday.

United had already done their chances no end of good earlier on Sunday as Anthony Martial responded positively to criticism by Jose Mourinho in scoring one and being involved in Wayne Rooney&#39;s second beating Burnley 2-0 to move up to fifth spot and a point off Manchester City -- who they play on Thursday.

However, it is Liverpool who will be the most worried about missing out on the lucrative Champions League spot next season as they are just two points clear of United who have two games in hand.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp pondered how Palace had been in danger of relegation when their performance belied their lowly position.

Palace now look certain to preserve Sam Allardyce&#39;s proud record of never being in charge of a club that has gone down.

However, Klopp issued a rallying call to the fans and his players not to give up hope on the Champions League.

&quot;It is frustrating, disappointing of course,&quot; Klopp told the BBC.

&quot;Everyone thinks the Champions League has slipped through our fingers but we have one more month to stay positive.

&quot;We have to try everything to squeeze everything out of this season.&quot;

Allardyce, who has engineered victories over Chelsea, Arsenal and now Liverpool in recent weeks, said there was a sense of relief that there was clear breathing space now between them and the bottom three -- they are seven points clear of Swansea.

&quot;It has been hard work but we are looking up,&quot; he told BBC.

&quot;We have five games to go but Tottenham on Wednesday will come too early.

&quot;We will have to change the side to get fresh legs into the side. It is a big result today, it makes life so much easier,&quot; added Allardyce.

Palace forward Andros Townsend refused to accept they could relax and plan for another season in the Premier League.

&quot;We have seen the other teams at the bottom are winning matches. We are almost there,&quot; he told Sky Sports.

United may be down to the bare bones in certain areas because of injury but even with leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic out with a serious knee injury and Marcus Rashford rested till a late appearance as a substitute they made light work of a Burnley side who are not out of trouble yet.

However, Mourinho denied fourth place was their priority as United he said are in the business of winning trophies and it is what he is being paid for.

&quot;If we beat Celta Vigo (their Europa League semi-final opponents) we go to the final and yes it is important for us to play Champions League, but this club wants trophies,&quot; said Mourinho.

&quot;We cannot give the club the Premier League. We have 25 percent chance to win the Europa League and we have to put everything on it.&quot;

(AFP)

Liverpool's loss to Crystal Palace for the third straight year at Anfield has reignited United's top four hopes

Christian Benteke's double for Crystal Palace against his old club Liverpool dealt perhaps a fatal blow to their hopes of Champions League football whilst boosting Manchester United's chances on Sunday. United had already done their chances no end of good earlier on Sunday as Anthony Martial responded positively to criticism by Jose Mourinho in scoring one and being involved in Wayne Rooney's second beating Burnley 2-0 to move up to fifth spot and a point off Manchester City -- who they play on Thursday. However, it is Liverpool who will be the most worried about missing out on the lucrative Champions League spot next season as they are just two points clear of United who have two games in hand. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp pondered how Palace had been in danger of relegation when their performance belied their lowly position. Palace now look certain to preserve Sam Allardyce's proud record of never being in charge of a club that has gone down. However, Klopp issued a rallying call to the fans and his players not to give up hope on the Champions League. "It is frustrating, disappointing of course," Klopp told the BBC. "Everyone thinks the Champions League has slipped through our fingers but we have one more month to stay positive. "We have to try everything to squeeze everything out of this season." Allardyce, who has engineered victories over Chelsea, Arsenal and now Liverpool in recent weeks, said there was a sense of relief that there was clear breathing space now between them and the bottom three -- they are seven points clear of Swansea. "It has been hard work but we are looking up," he told BBC. "We have five games to go but Tottenham on Wednesday will come too early. "We will have to change the side to get fresh legs into the side. It is a big result today, it makes life so much easier," added Allardyce. Palace forward Andros Townsend refused to accept they could relax and plan for another season in the Premier League. "We have seen the other teams at the bottom are winning matches. We are almost there," he told Sky Sports. United may be down to the bare bones in certain areas because of injury but even with leading scorer Zlatan Ibrahimovic out with a serious knee injury and Marcus Rashford rested till a late appearance as a substitute they made light work of a Burnley side who are not out of trouble yet. However, Mourinho denied fourth place was their priority as United he said are in the business of winning trophies and it is what he is being paid for. "If we beat Celta Vigo (their Europa League semi-final opponents) we go to the final and yes it is important for us to play Champions League, but this club wants trophies," said Mourinho. "We cannot give the club the Premier League. We have 25 percent chance to win the Europa League and we have to put everything on it." (AFP)

Premier League: Benteke brace sinks Liverpool, Man United inch closer

Eden Hazard fired Premier League leaders Chelsea to a crucial 2-1 win over Manchester City, but Tottenham are hot on their heels after a sensational fightback in their 3-1 victory at Swansea on Wednesday.

Chelsea remain seven points clear of second placed Tottenham with eight games to play, yet with just minutes left on a dramatic evening it seemed the Blues would have a much greater lead.

Rocked by Saturday&#39;s shock 2-1 home defeat against Crystal Palace, Antonio Conte&#39;s Chelsea side took only 10 minutes to take the lead through Hazard&#39;s 12th goal of the season.

Hazard&#39;s effort deflected off Vincent Kompany and beat Willy Caballero, whose weak attempted save drew a frustrated look from City boss Pep Guardiola as he contemplated the latest in a growing list of gaffes from his goalkeepers this season.

Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois was guilty of an even worse blunder, spilling David Silva&#39;s shot to Sergio Aguero, who tapped in City&#39;s 26th minute equaliser.

Conte&#39;s team were back in front after 35 minutes when Fernandinho conceded a penalty with a foul on Pedro.

Hazard&#39;s spot-kick was saved by Caballero, but the Belgian recovered quickly to finish off the rebound.

Kompany, back in the line-up for the first time since November, hit the crossbar with a second half header, but fourth placed City crashed to their first defeat in nine games, while Chelsea are still in pole position for the title.

&quot;Another step, a big step, against a great team,&quot; Conte said.

&quot;We must think that Tottenham could win all their games. We are playing a great season but to win the title there is a long way to go.&quot;

Guardiola added: &quot;We created enough to score goals. It&#39;s our problem. In the boxes we are not good enough.&quot;

At the Liberty Stadium, Tottenham fell behind in the 11th minute when Wayne Routledge turned in Jordan Ayew&#39;s cross for Swansea.

But Tottenham staged an incredible finale as England midfielder Dele Alli equalised with an 88th minute tap-in.

A minute into stoppage-time, South Korea forward Son Heung-Min bagged his 16th goal of the season with a clinical finish and there was still time for Christian Eriksen&#39;s strike to put the seal on Tottenham&#39;s fifth successive win.

&quot;It is crazy how the goals came in the last few minutes but we pushed and we created chances to win. This season we are fighting again,&quot; Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said.

Arsenal eased the pressure on Arsene Wenger and climbed back into the race for Champions League qualification with a 3-0 win over West Ham.

Wenger had endured repeated calls for his resignation from frustrated fans in recent weeks, but the protests at the Emirates Stadium were more muted for once as Arsenal ended a three-match winless run with only their second victory in their last seven league games.

Mesut Ozil broke the deadlock in the 58th minute with a curling effort from the edge of the penalty area.

Sucker punch&nbsp;

Theo Walcott bagged Arsenal&#39;s second in the 68th minute and Olivier Giroud&#39;s superb strike in the 83rd minute ensured his side moved above Manchester United into fifth place, four points behind Manchester City with a game in hand.

&quot;We come out of a difficult period and our confidence goes quickly and comes back slowly,&quot; Wenger said.

West Ham&#39;s fifth successive defeat leaves them just three points above the relegation zone.

Liverpool were hit by a late sucker punch as Bournemouth snatched a 2-2 draw at Anfield.

Benik Afobe struck for Bournemouth in the seventh minute, but Philippe Coutinho bagged Liverpool&#39;s equaliser with a typically cool 40th minute finish.

That made Coutinho the joint highest Brazilian scorer in Premier League history, alongside former Middlesbrough playmaker Juninho, with 29 goals.

Divock Origi put Liverpool in front in the 59th minute, but Josh King blasted his eighth goal in eight appearances to rescue Bournemouth in the 87th minute.

Liverpool&#39;s latest slip against lowly opposition leaves Jurgen Klopp&#39;s third-placed side six points above fifth place in the race for the Champions League.

Hull climbed out of the relegation zone with a priceless 4-2 win over relegation rivals Middlesbrough at the KCOM Stadium.

The Tigers move two points above the bottom three, while second bottom Middlesbrough are seven points from safety.

Southampton defender Maya Yoshida&#39;s first Premier League goal for 14 months inspired a 3-1 win over struggling Crystal Palace at St Mary&#39;s.

(AFP)

Tottenham scored three late goals against Swansea to remain in the title hunt

Eden Hazard fired Premier League leaders Chelsea to a crucial 2-1 win over Manchester City, but Tottenham are hot on their heels after a sensational fightback in their 3-1 victory at Swansea on Wednesday. Chelsea remain seven points clear of second placed Tottenham with eight games to play, yet with just minutes left on a dramatic evening it seemed the Blues would have a much greater lead. Rocked by Saturday's shock 2-1 home defeat against Crystal Palace, Antonio Conte's Chelsea side took only 10 minutes to take the lead through Hazard's 12th goal of the season. Hazard's effort deflected off Vincent Kompany and beat Willy Caballero, whose weak attempted save drew a frustrated look from City boss Pep Guardiola as he contemplated the latest in a growing list of gaffes from his goalkeepers this season. Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois was guilty of an even worse blunder, spilling David Silva's shot to Sergio Aguero, who tapped in City's 26th minute equaliser. Conte's team were back in front after 35 minutes when Fernandinho conceded a penalty with a foul on Pedro. Hazard's spot-kick was saved by Caballero, but the Belgian recovered quickly to finish off the rebound. Kompany, back in the line-up for the first time since November, hit the crossbar with a second half header, but fourth placed City crashed to their first defeat in nine games, while Chelsea are still in pole position for the title. "Another step, a big step, against a great team," Conte said. "We must think that Tottenham could win all their games. We are playing a great season but to win the title there is a long way to go." Guardiola added: "We created enough to score goals. It's our problem. In the boxes we are not good enough." At the Liberty Stadium, Tottenham fell behind in the 11th minute when Wayne Routledge turned in Jordan Ayew's cross for Swansea. But Tottenham staged an incredible finale as England midfielder Dele Alli equalised with an 88th minute tap-in. A minute into stoppage-time, South Korea forward Son Heung-Min bagged his 16th goal of the season with a clinical finish and there was still time for Christian Eriksen's strike to put the seal on Tottenham's fifth successive win. "It is crazy how the goals came in the last few minutes but we pushed and we created chances to win. This season we are fighting again," Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino said. Arsenal eased the pressure on Arsene Wenger and climbed back into the race for Champions League qualification with a 3-0 win over West Ham. Wenger had endured repeated calls for his resignation from frustrated fans in recent weeks, but the protests at the Emirates Stadium were more muted for once as Arsenal ended a three-match winless run with only their second victory in their last seven league games. Mesut Ozil broke the deadlock in the 58th minute with a curling effort from the edge of the penalty area. Sucker punch Theo Walcott bagged Arsenal's second in the 68th minute and Olivier Giroud's superb strike in the 83rd minute ensured his side moved above Manchester United into fifth place, four points behind Manchester City with a game in hand. "We come out of a difficult period and our confidence goes quickly and comes back slowly," Wenger said. West Ham's fifth successive defeat leaves them just three points above the relegation zone. Liverpool were hit by a late sucker punch as Bournemouth snatched a 2-2 draw at Anfield. Benik Afobe struck for Bournemouth in the seventh minute, but Philippe Coutinho bagged Liverpool's equaliser with a typically cool 40th minute finish. That made Coutinho the joint highest Brazilian scorer in Premier League history, alongside former Middlesbrough playmaker Juninho, with 29 goals. Divock Origi put Liverpool in front in the 59th minute, but Josh King blasted his eighth goal in eight appearances to rescue Bournemouth in the 87th minute. Liverpool's latest slip against lowly opposition leaves Jurgen Klopp's third-placed side six points above fifth place in the race for the Champions League. Hull climbed out of the relegation zone with a priceless 4-2 win over relegation rivals Middlesbrough at the KCOM Stadium. The Tigers move two points above the bottom three, while second bottom Middlesbrough are seven points from safety. Southampton defender Maya Yoshida's first Premier League goal for 14 months inspired a 3-1 win over struggling Crystal Palace at St Mary's. (AFP)

Premier League round-up: Chelsea beat City, Liverpool trip & Arsenal gain ground

Juergen Klopp has said his Liverpool team must be prepared to play ugly football to secure Champions League qualification following the injury to productive forward Sadio Mane ahead of Wednesday&#39;s Premier League clash against Bournemouth.

Mane, who has scored 13 league goals this season, suffered a knee injury during Liverpool 3-1 win over Everton last weekend and could be sidelined for the rest of the season.

Liverpool won just one of their seven games in January when Mane was at the African Nations Cup with Senegal and Klopp is preparing alternate tactics to avoid a similar fate as they target a top-four finish in the league.

&quot;The line-up we will choose is to make them as strong, as compact and as ugly to play as possible,&quot; the 49-year-old German told reporters.

&quot;The best plan in the world is only as good as the players.

&quot;Maybe we can surprise one of the other teams with good organisation, good defending, good counter-attacks. Why not?&quot;

Bournemouth, 14th in the league, rallied to defeat third-placed Liverpool 4-3 in the reverse fixture at the Vitality Stadium last December and Klopp said his side would not underestimate their opponents.

&quot;We should stop thinking about this idea of weaker teams. Football is a game, as I understand it, with no weaker team,&quot; he said.

Liverpool will be without skipper Jordan Henderson and midfielder Adam Lallana for the Bournemouth clash, with striker Divock Origi set to replace Mane in the starting lineup.

(Reuters)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

His comments came after forward Sadio Mane suffered a knee injury during Liverpool's 3-1 win over Everton last weekend?

Juergen Klopp has said his Liverpool team must be prepared to play ugly football to secure Champions League qualification following the injury to productive forward Sadio Mane ahead of Wednesday's Premier League clash against Bournemouth. Mane, who has scored 13 league goals this season, suffered a knee injury during Liverpool 3-1 win over Everton last weekend and could be sidelined for the rest of the season. Liverpool won just one of their seven games in January when Mane was at the African Nations Cup with Senegal and Klopp is preparing alternate tactics to avoid a similar fate as they target a top-four finish in the league. "The line-up we will choose is to make them as strong, as compact and as ugly to play as possible," the 49-year-old German told reporters. "The best plan in the world is only as good as the players. "Maybe we can surprise one of the other teams with good organisation, good defending, good counter-attacks. Why not?" Bournemouth, 14th in the league, rallied to defeat third-placed Liverpool 4-3 in the reverse fixture at the Vitality Stadium last December and Klopp said his side would not underestimate their opponents. "We should stop thinking about this idea of weaker teams. Football is a game, as I understand it, with no weaker team," he said. Liverpool will be without skipper Jordan Henderson and midfielder Adam Lallana for the Bournemouth clash, with striker Divock Origi set to replace Mane in the starting lineup. (Reuters)

Football: Klopp says Liverpool must be ready to play 'ugly' football

Sergio Aguero netted a 69th-minute equaliser in a gripping 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Sunday to prevent Manchester City losing ground in the battle for a top-four Premier League finish.

Liverpool looked poised to leapfrog City into third place after James Milner silenced the boos from fans of his former club to give the visitors the lead with a penalty early in the second half.

But Aguero&#39;s strike kept City a point above their rivals, who have played a game more, and provided a moment of solace after their mid-week Champions League elimination at Monaco&#39;s hands.

Both sides had chances to win the game in a breathless finale, Kevin De Bruyne hitting a post for City and Adam Lallana horribly miscuing with only the goalkeeper to beat.

Pep Guardiola had come in for criticism after City&#39;s 3-1 loss at Stade Louis II, but his side will approach back-to-back trips to Arsenal and Chelsea on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run in the league.

While Jurgen Klopp failed to become the first manager to do a league double over Guardiola, his Liverpool team are now unbeaten in 10 games against their fellow top-six sides this season.

A rain-slicked pitch and two attack-minded teams made for a furious first half at the Etihad Stadium, characterised by City possession and Liverpool counter-attacks.

City unambiguously targeted the flanks, Leroy Sane on the left and ex-Liverpool man Raheem Sterling on the right whipping a succession of low, pacy crosses across Simon Mignolet&#39;s six-yard box.

Twice, Aguero felt he had been unfairly impeded as he tried to get on the end of them, first by Joel Matip and then Ragnar Klavan.

The latter incident, in the 43rd minute, also saw Sterling taken out by a despairing Milner as the pair stretched for David Silva&#39;s low cross, with Fernandinho sliding the ball wide at the back post.

City&#39;s clearest opening of the half saw Silva thrash the ball inches wide of the left-hand post after Mignolet had jutted out his left foot to fend off a drive from Sane.

Lallana misses kick&nbsp;

But the best chances of the first period were all Liverpool&#39;s.

An under-hit John Stones back-pass let in Sadio Mane, only for an authoritative sortie by goalkeeper Willy Caballero, allied to a subtle tug from Nicolas Otamendi, to save the day.

Philippe Coutinho bent a shot just over, Matip headed wide at a free-kick and Caballero showed agility to claw away a Roberto Firmino curler and touch over a thumping Lallana volley.

After Mane had seen a shot blocked by Stones, Liverpool went ahead in the sixth minute of the second half.

Gael Clichy was penalised for a high, untidy challenge on Firmino as the Brazilian chested down Emre Can&#39;s flighted pass and Milner swept the penalty into the bottom-left corner.

Firmino looked poised to double the visitors&#39; lead from Coutinho&#39;s measured through ball, but Caballero stood up well to save.

Eight minutes later it was all square as De Bruyne&#39;s brilliantly measured cross from the right was unerringly dispatched by Aguero.

Aguero looked poised to put City ahead in the 76th minute, but after a neat one-two with Sane he stumbled, De Bruyne scuffing the loose ball against the post.

An increasingly end-to-end contest then spat out a glorious chance for Lallana, but from Firmino&#39;s knock-down and with Mignolet&#39;s goal at his mercy, he missed his kick.

As the noise levels rose, Sterling and Aguero -- twice -- spurned late chances, but a draw felt an appropriate outcome.

(AFP)

Aguero's strike kept City a point above their rivals

Sergio Aguero netted a 69th-minute equaliser in a gripping 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Sunday to prevent Manchester City losing ground in the battle for a top-four Premier League finish. Liverpool looked poised to leapfrog City into third place after James Milner silenced the boos from fans of his former club to give the visitors the lead with a penalty early in the second half. But Aguero's strike kept City a point above their rivals, who have played a game more, and provided a moment of solace after their mid-week Champions League elimination at Monaco's hands. Both sides had chances to win the game in a breathless finale, Kevin De Bruyne hitting a post for City and Adam Lallana horribly miscuing with only the goalkeeper to beat. Pep Guardiola had come in for criticism after City's 3-1 loss at Stade Louis II, but his side will approach back-to-back trips to Arsenal and Chelsea on the back of a seven-game unbeaten run in the league. While Jurgen Klopp failed to become the first manager to do a league double over Guardiola, his Liverpool team are now unbeaten in 10 games against their fellow top-six sides this season. A rain-slicked pitch and two attack-minded teams made for a furious first half at the Etihad Stadium, characterised by City possession and Liverpool counter-attacks. City unambiguously targeted the flanks, Leroy Sane on the left and ex-Liverpool man Raheem Sterling on the right whipping a succession of low, pacy crosses across Simon Mignolet's six-yard box. Twice, Aguero felt he had been unfairly impeded as he tried to get on the end of them, first by Joel Matip and then Ragnar Klavan. The latter incident, in the 43rd minute, also saw Sterling taken out by a despairing Milner as the pair stretched for David Silva's low cross, with Fernandinho sliding the ball wide at the back post. City's clearest opening of the half saw Silva thrash the ball inches wide of the left-hand post after Mignolet had jutted out his left foot to fend off a drive from Sane. Lallana misses kick But the best chances of the first period were all Liverpool's. An under-hit John Stones back-pass let in Sadio Mane, only for an authoritative sortie by goalkeeper Willy Caballero, allied to a subtle tug from Nicolas Otamendi, to save the day. Philippe Coutinho bent a shot just over, Matip headed wide at a free-kick and Caballero showed agility to claw away a Roberto Firmino curler and touch over a thumping Lallana volley. After Mane had seen a shot blocked by Stones, Liverpool went ahead in the sixth minute of the second half. Gael Clichy was penalised for a high, untidy challenge on Firmino as the Brazilian chested down Emre Can's flighted pass and Milner swept the penalty into the bottom-left corner. Firmino looked poised to double the visitors' lead from Coutinho's measured through ball, but Caballero stood up well to save. Eight minutes later it was all square as De Bruyne's brilliantly measured cross from the right was unerringly dispatched by Aguero. Aguero looked poised to put City ahead in the 76th minute, but after a neat one-two with Sane he stumbled, De Bruyne scuffing the loose ball against the post. An increasingly end-to-end contest then spat out a glorious chance for Lallana, but from Firmino's knock-down and with Mignolet's goal at his mercy, he missed his kick. As the noise levels rose, Sterling and Aguero -- twice -- spurned late chances, but a draw felt an appropriate outcome. (AFP)

Premier League: Manchester City vs Liverpool ends in 1-1 draw

Emre Can&#39;s superb shot guided Liverpool to a 2-1 home win over Burnley on Sunday and maintained their bid to qualify for next season&rsquo;s Champions League.

Ashley Barnes, with his club&rsquo;s first goal at Anfield since 1975, had given Burnley a deserved early lead only for Georginio Wijnaldum to equalise in first-half injury-time.

And Can struck just after the hour mark to secure victory for Liverpool, although it was a far from convincing performance by Jurgen Klopp&rsquo;s side.

German international Can collected a short pass from Divock Origi and was allowed space to unleash a right-foot shot from 25 yards which the Burnley goalkeeper, Tom Heaton, might have been expected to save before it reached the bottom left-hand corner of his net.

Victory saw Liverpool remain fourth, still in the final Champions League place open to English clubs.&nbsp;

The win moved them to within a point of third-placed Manchester City but, more significantly, saw Liverpool go five points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal.

&quot;The performance was good enough to win the game but the result is massive for us, it&#39;s the first ugly game we have won,&quot; Liverpool manager Klopp told Sky Sports. &quot;Usually when we are not that good we lose.&quot;

Meanwhile Burnley boss Sean Dyche was left bemoaning his side&#39;s lack of good fortune.

&quot;It&#39;s a tough one to take, because everyone gave a really good account of ourselves and we went up with a sublime goal,&quot; he told the BBC. &quot;We just needed a scratch of luck along the way.&quot;&nbsp;

Liverpool had gone in at the half-time interval level although it was a scoreline that even the most ardent home supporter would have admitted was harsh on Burnley.

With just two away points to their name all season -- from a still impressive tally of 31 -- Dyche&rsquo;s team opened the game aggressively and took the lead in just the seventh minute.

Right-back Matt Lowton crossed low into the area from the wing and, after Andre Gray narrowly missed making contact, Barnes slid in ahead of his marker to force the ball past Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet.

Burnley, without a victory at Anfield since 1974, would have hoped to reach the interval without conceding an equaliser and looked well on course for that target for the majority of the half.

Unlikely equaliser

Not until the 45th minute did Liverpool enjoy a &#39;shot&#39; on target and that was actually an over-hit defensive header from Burnley&rsquo;s Joey Barton which forced Heaton into a comfortable diving save, his first of the game.

But a minute into first-half injury-time, Liverpool claimed an unlikely equaliser which raised the mood around the stadium.

Origi, starting in place of the injured Roberto Firmino, crossed from the left and Wijnaldum made a lazy attempt to control the ball, flicking out a boot and benefitting from a fortunate rebound from defender Ben Mee, before drilling home an unstoppable finish from six yards.

Even before the goal, Burnley&rsquo;s crosses from the right had caused concern, with Gray&rsquo;s chip almost finding Barnes after five minutes.

Solid at the back, Burnley also looked the more likely to score a second goal after Barnes&rsquo;s opener.

But the second half opened with Liverpool in far more determined mood, although their suspect defending always gave Burnley hope.

Barnes sent a speculative first-time shot wide soon after the restart before Liverpool finally threatened, with Joel Matip&#39;s shot from a Philippe Coutinho cross blocked

Can&rsquo;s goal was still harsh on Burnley, although the visitors almost responded just three minutes later, when Mee headed a free-kick across goal and Barnes&rsquo;s effort was blocked by Ragnar Klavan.

Both teams squandered late chances for further goals. Sadio Mane had only Heaton to beat but saw the Burnley keeper tip his 12-yard shot over the bar in the closing stages before Lowton missed a glorious opportunity to equalise, shooting wide from a scramble in the area in stoppage-time.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Victory saw Liverpool remain fourth, still in the final Champions League place open to English clubs

Emre Can's superb shot guided Liverpool to a 2-1 home win over Burnley on Sunday and maintained their bid to qualify for next season’s Champions League. Ashley Barnes, with his club’s first goal at Anfield since 1975, had given Burnley a deserved early lead only for Georginio Wijnaldum to equalise in first-half injury-time. And Can struck just after the hour mark to secure victory for Liverpool, although it was a far from convincing performance by Jurgen Klopp’s side. German international Can collected a short pass from Divock Origi and was allowed space to unleash a right-foot shot from 25 yards which the Burnley goalkeeper, Tom Heaton, might have been expected to save before it reached the bottom left-hand corner of his net. Victory saw Liverpool remain fourth, still in the final Champions League place open to English clubs. The win moved them to within a point of third-placed Manchester City but, more significantly, saw Liverpool go five points clear of fifth-placed Arsenal. "The performance was good enough to win the game but the result is massive for us, it's the first ugly game we have won," Liverpool manager Klopp told Sky Sports. "Usually when we are not that good we lose." Meanwhile Burnley boss Sean Dyche was left bemoaning his side's lack of good fortune. "It's a tough one to take, because everyone gave a really good account of ourselves and we went up with a sublime goal," he told the BBC. "We just needed a scratch of luck along the way." Liverpool had gone in at the half-time interval level although it was a scoreline that even the most ardent home supporter would have admitted was harsh on Burnley. With just two away points to their name all season -- from a still impressive tally of 31 -- Dyche’s team opened the game aggressively and took the lead in just the seventh minute. Right-back Matt Lowton crossed low into the area from the wing and, after Andre Gray narrowly missed making contact, Barnes slid in ahead of his marker to force the ball past Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet. Burnley, without a victory at Anfield since 1974, would have hoped to reach the interval without conceding an equaliser and looked well on course for that target for the majority of the half. Unlikely equaliser Not until the 45th minute did Liverpool enjoy a 'shot' on target and that was actually an over-hit defensive header from Burnley’s Joey Barton which forced Heaton into a comfortable diving save, his first of the game. But a minute into first-half injury-time, Liverpool claimed an unlikely equaliser which raised the mood around the stadium. Origi, starting in place of the injured Roberto Firmino, crossed from the left and Wijnaldum made a lazy attempt to control the ball, flicking out a boot and benefitting from a fortunate rebound from defender Ben Mee, before drilling home an unstoppable finish from six yards. Even before the goal, Burnley’s crosses from the right had caused concern, with Gray’s chip almost finding Barnes after five minutes. Solid at the back, Burnley also looked the more likely to score a second goal after Barnes’s opener. But the second half opened with Liverpool in far more determined mood, although their suspect defending always gave Burnley hope. Barnes sent a speculative first-time shot wide soon after the restart before Liverpool finally threatened, with Joel Matip's shot from a Philippe Coutinho cross blocked Can’s goal was still harsh on Burnley, although the visitors almost responded just three minutes later, when Mee headed a free-kick across goal and Barnes’s effort was blocked by Ragnar Klavan. Both teams squandered late chances for further goals. Sadio Mane had only Heaton to beat but saw the Burnley keeper tip his 12-yard shot over the bar in the closing stages before Lowton missed a glorious opportunity to equalise, shooting wide from a scramble in the area in stoppage-time. (AFP)

Premier League: Liverpool 2-1 Burnley

The jet-heeled Sadio Mane scored a quick-fire brace as Liverpool revitalised their Premier League campaign with an impressive 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Saturday.

Senegalese flier Mane netted twice in three first-half minutes as Jurgen Klopp&#39;s team claimed a first league win of 2017 at the sixth attempt and ended Spurs&#39; nine-game unbeaten run.

Liverpool moved back into the top four, above Manchester City, who visit Bournemouth on Monday, and Manchester United, who briefly climbed above them after beating Watford 2-0.

Tottenham remain second, but they are now level on points with Arsenal after Alexis Sanchez scored twice to earn Arsene Wenger&#39;s side a much-needed 2-0 victory over Hull City.

Spurs&#39; setback means Chelsea can move 12 points clear at the summit if they win at Burnley on Sunday.

While the title seems destined for Stamford Bridge, the battle for positions below Chelsea could not be more tight, with two points separating Spurs in second and United in sixth.

Liverpool badly missed Mane during his time at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal and he gave a dazzling display of his qualities with two goals in the first 18 minutes at Anfield.

For the first goal, in the 16th minute, he raced onto Georginio Wijnaldum&#39;s pass before lifting a shot past Hugo Lloris.

Two minutes later he made it 2-0 with his 11th goal of the season, sparking a raid on the Spurs box by robbing Eric Dier and then slamming in after Lloris had saved from Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino.

At the Emirates Stadium, Sanchez brought the under-fire Wenger some breathing space as Arsenal overcame third-bottom Hull.

The Chilean forward contentiously scored with his hand in the 34th minute and netted a stoppage-time penalty after Sam Clucas had been sent off for handball to take his tally for the campaign to 17 goals.

It got Arsenal back to winning ways following successive defeats by Watford and Chelsea and left them in third place, nine points behind Chelsea.

Wenger dismissed a claim by former Arsenal striker Ian Wright that he had admitted his time at the club was coming to an end.

Gabbiadini double&nbsp;

&quot;I didn&#39;t give any indication about my future,&quot; Wenger told reporters.

&quot;You know I appreciate very much that you want me to rest, absolutely. But I am not ready for that yet.&quot;

United closed to within a point of the Champions League places by beating Watford, Anthony Martial marking his return to the starting XI by scoring and setting up the opener for Juan Mata.

Jose Mourinho&#39;s side have now gone 16 league games unbeaten and while they remain sixth, they are just a point below both Liverpool and City.

&quot;Martial deserves the chance,&quot; Mourinho told the BBC. &quot;He has worked harder than ever in the last two weeks in the way I like: silence, but hard.&quot;

He added: &quot;In the first half the football was fabulous. When I got the job, they were saying at Manchester United you need to play football in a certain way and I agree.&quot;

Seventh-place Everton squandered a chance to close on the teams above them after being held to a 0-0 draw at sixth-bottom Middlesbrough.

Sunderland remain bottom of the table after Southampton&#39;s new Italian striker Manolo Gabbiadini scored a slick brace in a 4-0 win at the Stadium of Light.

Jason Denayer also put through his own goal before Shane Long completed the scoring in added time.

Second-bottom Crystal Palace were also beaten, Joe Allen scoring in the second half to give Stoke City a 1-0 win that saw Mark Hughes&#39;s team climb to ninth.

Gareth McAuley was credited with a stoppage-time equaliser for West Bromwich Albion in a 2-2 draw at West Ham United.

After Nacer Chadli put West Brom ahead in the fifth minute, West Ham hit back through Sofiane Feghouli and Manuel Lanzini, only for McAuley to get a decisive touch to Jonny Evans&#39;s header at the death. 
 
(AFP)

Liverpool moved back into the top four, above Manchester City, who visit Bournemouth on Monday, and Manchester United

The jet-heeled Sadio Mane scored a quick-fire brace as Liverpool revitalised their Premier League campaign with an impressive 2-0 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield on Saturday. Senegalese flier Mane netted twice in three first-half minutes as Jurgen Klopp's team claimed a first league win of 2017 at the sixth attempt and ended Spurs' nine-game unbeaten run. Liverpool moved back into the top four, above Manchester City, who visit Bournemouth on Monday, and Manchester United, who briefly climbed above them after beating Watford 2-0. Tottenham remain second, but they are now level on points with Arsenal after Alexis Sanchez scored twice to earn Arsene Wenger's side a much-needed 2-0 victory over Hull City. Spurs' setback means Chelsea can move 12 points clear at the summit if they win at Burnley on Sunday. While the title seems destined for Stamford Bridge, the battle for positions below Chelsea could not be more tight, with two points separating Spurs in second and United in sixth. Liverpool badly missed Mane during his time at the Africa Cup of Nations with Senegal and he gave a dazzling display of his qualities with two goals in the first 18 minutes at Anfield. For the first goal, in the 16th minute, he raced onto Georginio Wijnaldum's pass before lifting a shot past Hugo Lloris. Two minutes later he made it 2-0 with his 11th goal of the season, sparking a raid on the Spurs box by robbing Eric Dier and then slamming in after Lloris had saved from Adam Lallana and Roberto Firmino. At the Emirates Stadium, Sanchez brought the under-fire Wenger some breathing space as Arsenal overcame third-bottom Hull. The Chilean forward contentiously scored with his hand in the 34th minute and netted a stoppage-time penalty after Sam Clucas had been sent off for handball to take his tally for the campaign to 17 goals. It got Arsenal back to winning ways following successive defeats by Watford and Chelsea and left them in third place, nine points behind Chelsea. Wenger dismissed a claim by former Arsenal striker Ian Wright that he had admitted his time at the club was coming to an end. Gabbiadini double "I didn't give any indication about my future," Wenger told reporters. "You know I appreciate very much that you want me to rest, absolutely. But I am not ready for that yet." United closed to within a point of the Champions League places by beating Watford, Anthony Martial marking his return to the starting XI by scoring and setting up the opener for Juan Mata. Jose Mourinho's side have now gone 16 league games unbeaten and while they remain sixth, they are just a point below both Liverpool and City. "Martial deserves the chance," Mourinho told the BBC. "He has worked harder than ever in the last two weeks in the way I like: silence, but hard." He added: "In the first half the football was fabulous. When I got the job, they were saying at Manchester United you need to play football in a certain way and I agree." Seventh-place Everton squandered a chance to close on the teams above them after being held to a 0-0 draw at sixth-bottom Middlesbrough. Sunderland remain bottom of the table after Southampton's new Italian striker Manolo Gabbiadini scored a slick brace in a 4-0 win at the Stadium of Light. Jason Denayer also put through his own goal before Shane Long completed the scoring in added time. Second-bottom Crystal Palace were also beaten, Joe Allen scoring in the second half to give Stoke City a 1-0 win that saw Mark Hughes's team climb to ninth. Gareth McAuley was credited with a stoppage-time equaliser for West Bromwich Albion in a 2-2 draw at West Ham United. After Nacer Chadli put West Brom ahead in the fifth minute, West Ham hit back through Sofiane Feghouli and Manuel Lanzini, only for McAuley to get a decisive touch to Jonny Evans's header at the death. (AFP)

Liverpool 2-0 Tottenham;  Arsenal, Manchester United rise

Hull&#39;s resurgence under new manager Marco Silva continued as goals from Alfred N&#39;Diaye and Oumar Niasse secured a 2-0 victory which leaves Liverpool still waiting for their first league win of 2017.

Whatever the future holds for N&#39;Diaye on Humberside, he is unlikely to have many easier goalscoring opportunities than the one goalkeeper Simon Mignolet gifted him in the 44th minute at the KCOM Stadium on Saturday.

Mignolet dropped Harry Maguire&#39;s header from Kamil Grosicki&#39;s right-wing corner, and although he was pressured by Abel Hernandez, it should have been a routine save.

Instead, the ball fell at the feet of N&#39;Diaye who added to the growing concerns facing Reds boss Jurgen Klopp as he still awaits his first league victory of the calendar year.

There was nothing the goalkeeper could do with the second goal, on 84 minutes, however as Andrea Ranocchia eased a spell of pressure by punting the ball forward and substitute Niasse shrugged of Joel Matip before finishing from a dozen or so yards.

Fourth placed Liverpool have won only once in their last 10 games in all competitions, while Hull move up to 18th place in their battle to avoid relegation.&nbsp;

Hull had actually faced problems even before kick-off, when defender Michael Dawson was injured warming-up and Italian Ranocchia stepped up from the bench to make his first start.&nbsp;

But Liverpool, boasting a talented forward line that featured Sadio Mane for the first time since the start of last month, toiled to test home goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic.

Frustrations

On one of the rare occasions they were able to do so, from a 22nd minute cross from Roberto Firmino, the Swiss international fumbled his attempted clearance, presenting Philippe Coutinho with the best chance of the game so far.

However, the Brazilian struck a downwards shot which bounced high, enabling Jakupovic to turn it around for a corner.

Matip summed up Liverpool frustrations when he rose unmarked to meet a Coutinho corner but failed to find the target with his 15-yard header and the visitors were soon trailing at the interval.

Liverpool&#39;s players were sent out before the start of the second half a good two minutes before their opponents and their early play looked more lively as won a series of corners.

One of those, from James Milner on the left, was snatched at by Mane at the far post, with Matip also trying to make contact before Hull cleared.

Milner spied the Hull goal a few minutes later, after a right-wing attack had broken down, but succeeded only in lofting a tame shot towards the top corner for Jakupovic to catch.

The Hull keeper faced a far stiffer test just before the hour when Coutinho&#39;s far-post cross was met by Mane, out jumping Andy Robertson for an excellent header which Jakupovic did well to tip over.

Lucas and Matip had shots blocked in the same attack, from yet another corner, but there were warning signs at the other end that Liverpool&#39;s defence would be susceptible to the counter.

First, Tom Huddlestone neatly played through Hernandez although the forward could do little more than flick an attempt into the side-netting under pressure.

Hernandez was guilty of a more glaring miss moments later, allowing Mignolet to block at his feet, after a superb pass from Grosicki.&nbsp;

Coutinho produced an equally bad miss, flashing a shot wide with the goal beckoning, after Milner&#39;s effort had been cleared off the line by Maguire.

(AFP)

Goals from Alfred N'Diaye and Oumar Niasse secured Hull a 2-0 victory, leaving Liverpool waiting for their first league win of 2017

Hull's resurgence under new manager Marco Silva continued as goals from Alfred N'Diaye and Oumar Niasse secured a 2-0 victory which leaves Liverpool still waiting for their first league win of 2017. Whatever the future holds for N'Diaye on Humberside, he is unlikely to have many easier goalscoring opportunities than the one goalkeeper Simon Mignolet gifted him in the 44th minute at the KCOM Stadium on Saturday. Mignolet dropped Harry Maguire's header from Kamil Grosicki's right-wing corner, and although he was pressured by Abel Hernandez, it should have been a routine save. Instead, the ball fell at the feet of N'Diaye who added to the growing concerns facing Reds boss Jurgen Klopp as he still awaits his first league victory of the calendar year. There was nothing the goalkeeper could do with the second goal, on 84 minutes, however as Andrea Ranocchia eased a spell of pressure by punting the ball forward and substitute Niasse shrugged of Joel Matip before finishing from a dozen or so yards. Fourth placed Liverpool have won only once in their last 10 games in all competitions, while Hull move up to 18th place in their battle to avoid relegation. Hull had actually faced problems even before kick-off, when defender Michael Dawson was injured warming-up and Italian Ranocchia stepped up from the bench to make his first start. But Liverpool, boasting a talented forward line that featured Sadio Mane for the first time since the start of last month, toiled to test home goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic. Frustrations On one of the rare occasions they were able to do so, from a 22nd minute cross from Roberto Firmino, the Swiss international fumbled his attempted clearance, presenting Philippe Coutinho with the best chance of the game so far. However, the Brazilian struck a downwards shot which bounced high, enabling Jakupovic to turn it around for a corner. Matip summed up Liverpool frustrations when he rose unmarked to meet a Coutinho corner but failed to find the target with his 15-yard header and the visitors were soon trailing at the interval. Liverpool's players were sent out before the start of the second half a good two minutes before their opponents and their early play looked more lively as won a series of corners. One of those, from James Milner on the left, was snatched at by Mane at the far post, with Matip also trying to make contact before Hull cleared. Milner spied the Hull goal a few minutes later, after a right-wing attack had broken down, but succeeded only in lofting a tame shot towards the top corner for Jakupovic to catch. The Hull keeper faced a far stiffer test just before the hour when Coutinho's far-post cross was met by Mane, out jumping Andy Robertson for an excellent header which Jakupovic did well to tip over. Lucas and Matip had shots blocked in the same attack, from yet another corner, but there were warning signs at the other end that Liverpool's defence would be susceptible to the counter. First, Tom Huddlestone neatly played through Hernandez although the forward could do little more than flick an attempt into the side-netting under pressure. Hernandez was guilty of a more glaring miss moments later, allowing Mignolet to block at his feet, after a superb pass from Grosicki. Coutinho produced an equally bad miss, flashing a shot wide with the goal beckoning, after Milner's effort had been cleared off the line by Maguire. (AFP)

Liverpool stumble at Hull as title bid appears near collapse

Simon Mignolet went from zero to hero as Liverpool prevented Chelsea from significantly extending their lead at the Premier League summit in a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Tuesday.

The Belgian goalkeeper was caught daydreaming as David Luiz put Chelsea ahead with a first-half free-kick, but after Georginio Wijnaldum equalised, his penalty save denied Diego Costa a late winner.

With Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur dropping points, victory would have sent Chelsea 11 points clear, but instead Antonio Conte&#39;s side had to content themselves with eking their advantage up to nine points.

&quot;It`s a pity Diego Costa missed the penalty because he played very well,&quot; said Chelsea manager Conte.

&quot;We had different chances to score goals, but we must be happy with the result and the performance because it is not easy to play away at Liverpool.&quot;

Liverpool remain 10 points off the pace in fourth place, but although they have won just one of their nine matches in 2017, they avoided losing four successive home games for the first time since 1923.

While the point did little to enhance their title hopes, it was a much improved display by Jurgen Klopp`s men after successive exits from the League Cup and FA Cup against Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

&quot;I`m not sure happy is the right word to say how I`m feeling, but I`m proud of the boys because they did outstanding things against a really good side,&quot; Klopp told BT Sport.

&quot;I`m happy we could give this sign and create this atmosphere. It was a good performance.&quot;

Costa`s squandered 77th-minute penalty, awarded for a foul on him by Joel Matip, meant Chelsea failed to win for only the second time in 17 league games, but the title remains theirs to lose.

Klopp had trumpeted his team`s ability to beat &quot;anyone else in this league&quot; in the match programme and with England pair Nathaniel Clyne and Adam Lallana back from injury, his men began sharply.Their aggressive pressing prevented Chelsea from settling into a rhythm and Wijnaldum saw a rasping shot parried by visiting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.

Conte, clad in a tracksuit and puffer jacket that recalled former manager Jose Mourinho`s attire during Chelsea`s pivotal 2-0 win here in 2014, kicked the ball away in frustration at one point.

But in the 24th minute a combination of exquisite technique and inexcusably lax defensive attentiveness gave Chelsea the breakthrough.

As Luiz advanced to strike his free-kick, 25 yards from goal and to the left of centre, Mignolet was gesticulating to his team-mates on the edge of the area.

The Brazilian struck the ball with ferocious but controlled power and it zipped over the wall before crashing in via the left-hand post, with Mignolet rooted to the spot.

Liverpool should have levelled four minutes into the second half when Roberto Firmino hoisted the ball clear of the bar from 15 yards out after Eden Hazard had slid in to rob Clyne.

But following a sight of goal at the other end for Victor Moses, who clipped the post after charging down James Milner`s clearance, the home side levelled in the 57th minute.

Jordan Henderson`s deep cross from the right was headed back across goal by Milner, with a touch from Moses enabling Wijnaldum to direct a low header beneath Courtois`s despairing dive.

Sadio Mane made his Liverpool comeback in place of Philippe Coutinho, his Africa Cup of Nations quest with Senegal having been ended by his squandered penalty against Cameroon in the quarter-finals.

But here it was Costa who fluffed his lines from 12 yards as Mignolet dived to his right to shovel away the Chelsea striker`s poorly struck spot-kick.

Pedro Rodriguez, on for Willian, came close to sparing Costa`s blushes with a snapshot that flashed wide, while Firmino could only direct a header straight at Courtois at the opposite end.

(AFP)

'It's a pity Diego Costa missed the penalty because he played very well,' said Chelsea manager Conte

Simon Mignolet went from zero to hero as Liverpool prevented Chelsea from significantly extending their lead at the Premier League summit in a 1-1 draw at Anfield on Tuesday. The Belgian goalkeeper was caught daydreaming as David Luiz put Chelsea ahead with a first-half free-kick, but after Georginio Wijnaldum equalised, his penalty save denied Diego Costa a late winner. With Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur dropping points, victory would have sent Chelsea 11 points clear, but instead Antonio Conte's side had to content themselves with eking their advantage up to nine points. "It`s a pity Diego Costa missed the penalty because he played very well," said Chelsea manager Conte. "We had different chances to score goals, but we must be happy with the result and the performance because it is not easy to play away at Liverpool." Liverpool remain 10 points off the pace in fourth place, but although they have won just one of their nine matches in 2017, they avoided losing four successive home games for the first time since 1923. While the point did little to enhance their title hopes, it was a much improved display by Jurgen Klopp`s men after successive exits from the League Cup and FA Cup against Southampton and Wolverhampton Wanderers. "I`m not sure happy is the right word to say how I`m feeling, but I`m proud of the boys because they did outstanding things against a really good side," Klopp told BT Sport. "I`m happy we could give this sign and create this atmosphere. It was a good performance." Costa`s squandered 77th-minute penalty, awarded for a foul on him by Joel Matip, meant Chelsea failed to win for only the second time in 17 league games, but the title remains theirs to lose. Klopp had trumpeted his team`s ability to beat "anyone else in this league" in the match programme and with England pair Nathaniel Clyne and Adam Lallana back from injury, his men began sharply.Their aggressive pressing prevented Chelsea from settling into a rhythm and Wijnaldum saw a rasping shot parried by visiting goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois. Conte, clad in a tracksuit and puffer jacket that recalled former manager Jose Mourinho`s attire during Chelsea`s pivotal 2-0 win here in 2014, kicked the ball away in frustration at one point. But in the 24th minute a combination of exquisite technique and inexcusably lax defensive attentiveness gave Chelsea the breakthrough. As Luiz advanced to strike his free-kick, 25 yards from goal and to the left of centre, Mignolet was gesticulating to his team-mates on the edge of the area. The Brazilian struck the ball with ferocious but controlled power and it zipped over the wall before crashing in via the left-hand post, with Mignolet rooted to the spot. Liverpool should have levelled four minutes into the second half when Roberto Firmino hoisted the ball clear of the bar from 15 yards out after Eden Hazard had slid in to rob Clyne. But following a sight of goal at the other end for Victor Moses, who clipped the post after charging down James Milner`s clearance, the home side levelled in the 57th minute. Jordan Henderson`s deep cross from the right was headed back across goal by Milner, with a touch from Moses enabling Wijnaldum to direct a low header beneath Courtois`s despairing dive. Sadio Mane made his Liverpool comeback in place of Philippe Coutinho, his Africa Cup of Nations quest with Senegal having been ended by his squandered penalty against Cameroon in the quarter-finals. But here it was Costa who fluffed his lines from 12 yards as Mignolet dived to his right to shovel away the Chelsea striker`s poorly struck spot-kick. Pedro Rodriguez, on for Willian, came close to sparing Costa`s blushes with a snapshot that flashed wide, while Firmino could only direct a header straight at Courtois at the opposite end. (AFP)

Premier League: Mignolet stars for Liverpool as match with Chelsea ends in draw

Southampton reached the League Cup final for the first time since 1979 after a 1-0 victory against Liverpool in the semi-final second leg on Wednesday.

Claude Puel&#39;s team secured a 2-0 aggregate triumph thanks to a clinical finish from Shane Long in second-half stoppage-time at Anfield.

Southampton, who lost their only previous League Cup final against Nottingham Forest, will face Manchester United or Hull in this year&#39;s showpiece at Wembley on February 26.

United lead 2-0 from the first leg heading into the return at Hull on Thursday.

(AFP)

Southampton will await the winner of Hull City and Manchester United in their first final since 1979

Southampton reached the League Cup final for the first time since 1979 after a 1-0 victory against Liverpool in the semi-final second leg on Wednesday. Claude Puel's team secured a 2-0 aggregate triumph thanks to a clinical finish from Shane Long in second-half stoppage-time at Anfield. Southampton, who lost their only previous League Cup final against Nottingham Forest, will face Manchester United or Hull in this year's showpiece at Wembley on February 26. United lead 2-0 from the first leg heading into the return at Hull on Thursday. (AFP)

League Cup: Southampton stun Liverpool 2-0 to enter final

Liverpool&#39;s title bid suffered a serious after they lost to bottom-placed Swansea City 3-2 at Anfield on Saturday.

But Swansea&#39;s stunning win means they have leapt out of the relegation places, thanks to Spanish international&nbsp;Fernando Llorente two goals and a dramatic winner by&nbsp;Gylfi Sigurdsson in the 74th minute of the match.

The first half was a tepid affair but the match came alive in the second half when Swansea took the lead and soon doubled their advantage.

The double blow woke up Jurgen Klopp&#39;s side as Roberto Firmino scored two delicious goals to drag his team back into the match.

And when Liverpool were the odds-on favourite to cap off a remarkable comeback, Swansea unexpectedly struck a third goal before they saw off a nervy 15 minutes to emerge victors.

(WION)&nbsp;

The victory helps Swansea City move out of the relegation spots

Liverpool's title bid suffered a serious after they lost to bottom-placed Swansea City 3-2 at Anfield on Saturday. But Swansea's stunning win means they have leapt out of the relegation places, thanks to Spanish international Fernando Llorente two goals and a dramatic winner by Gylfi Sigurdsson in the 74th minute of the match. The first half was a tepid affair but the match came alive in the second half when Swansea took the lead and soon doubled their advantage. The double blow woke up Jurgen Klopp's side as Roberto Firmino scored two delicious goals to drag his team back into the match. And when Liverpool were the odds-on favourite to cap off a remarkable comeback, Swansea unexpectedly struck a third goal before they saw off a nervy 15 minutes to emerge victors. (WION)

Liverpool's title bid suffers after Swansea record stunning victory

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho played down the touchline confrontation that flared up between him and Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp near the end of Sunday&#39;s Premier League draw. As both teams looked for a late winner in an increasingly tense match at Old Trafford, the rival managers squared up to each other but Mourinho reckoned after shaking Klopp&#39;s hand at the end of the game that there was no problem between them.

The incident occurred when United midfielder Ander Herrera pulled the shirt of Liverpool&#39;s Roberto Firmino, then fell to the floor holding his face after actually being pushed by the Brazilian in the chest. Klopp seemed to feel Mourinho was calling for Firmino to be sent off and the German evidently felt Herrera was feigning injury. The two managers then had a heated argument, Klopp getting particularly animated, as the fourth official separated them.

Asked if there had been a problem with Klopp, Mourinho told reporters: &quot;No. He thought I was asking for his player to be sent off. I wasn&#39;t. No problem at all. I think the game was correct, I think the players gave everything in an emotional way, professional way. I think the referee Michael Oliver managed very well that part of the game,&quot; Mourinho felt. &quot;I think the game was great publicity for the Premier League all around the world,&quot; he gushed.

The game ended in a tense 1-1 draw.

(Reuters)

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho had a heated touchline row with Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp during the premier league clash

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho played down the touchline confrontation that flared up between him and Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp near the end of Sunday's Premier League draw. As both teams looked for a late winner in an increasingly tense match at Old Trafford, the rival managers squared up to each other but Mourinho reckoned after shaking Klopp's hand at the end of the game that there was no problem between them. The incident occurred when United midfielder Ander Herrera pulled the shirt of Liverpool's Roberto Firmino, then fell to the floor holding his face after actually being pushed by the Brazilian in the chest. Klopp seemed to feel Mourinho was calling for Firmino to be sent off and the German evidently felt Herrera was feigning injury. The two managers then had a heated argument, Klopp getting particularly animated, as the fourth official separated them. Asked if there had been a problem with Klopp, Mourinho told reporters: "No. He thought I was asking for his player to be sent off. I wasn't. No problem at all. I think the game was correct, I think the players gave everything in an emotional way, professional way. I think the referee Michael Oliver managed very well that part of the game," Mourinho felt. "I think the game was great publicity for the Premier League all around the world," he gushed. The game ended in a tense 1-1 draw. (Reuters)

Mourinho downplays Klopp confrontation

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes a little more luck on the injury front is all that is separating his team from Premier League leaders Chelsea as the Reds prepare to face Stoke City on Tuesday.

The Anfield club spent Christmas in second place in the Premier League table but trailed Chelsea by six points as they struggle to stay in touch with Antonio Conte&#39;s in-form side.

Liverpool have only lost twice all season but are currently missing the influential Philippe Coutinho as they prepare for the first of two home games before the end of the year.

&quot;I am pretty sure that until now Chelsea are maybe the team that have had the most luck with injuries. We lost Phil and Daniel (Sturridge) and Danny Ings in difficult moments when you really could use them,&quot; Klopp told Sky Sports News.

&quot;If it&#39;s Hazard and Costa at Chelsea, is it the same afterwards?&quot;

Coutinho is not likely to return before the new year due to an ankle injury while defender Joel Matip is also struggling as the Reds look forward to welcoming Stoke and then Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City to Merseyside over the next week.

&quot;We cannot rush the situation and we don&#39;t want to rush it. We have to accept the more or less bigger steps in his improvement with this serious injury,&quot; Klopp said of Coutinho.

&quot;Whenever he is back, the season is long enough that he can help us. We cannot rush it just because there are a few games now. That cannot have an influence on our decisions.&quot;

Klopp, who had his squad in for training on Christmas Day despite the extra 24 hours to prepare for the visit of Stoke, could stick with an unchanged starting line-up as Liverpool look to build on successive wins at Middlesbrough and Everton.

Simon Mignolet should keep his place in goal after recording clean sheets in these matches as Liverpool look to maintain their impressive record at home.

They are unbeaten in nine home games in all competitions this season and haven&#39;t lost at Anfield since Stoke won 1-0 there in the EFL Cup semi-final second leg on January 26 -- Liverpool eventually won that tie on penalties.

&#39;Be positive&#39;&nbsp; 
Mid-table Stoke head to Merseyside having failed to win in three matches, including a 2-2 draw at home to Leicester City in their last outing when they squandered a two-goal lead.

Stoke could not have asked for a tougher festive period, with this game being followed by a trip to Chelsea on New Year&#39;s Eve but Hughes is backing his team to spring a surprise.

&quot;We are under no illusions as to how good they both are and how difficult the matches will be for us, but we have to go into the games with real belief,&quot; said Hughes.&nbsp;

&quot;Not many people are thinking we have a chance of gaining positive results but that certainly isn&#39;t the case within our camp.

&quot;Of course they have players who can hurt us, but we have players who can hurt them too. We went to Liverpool last year and beat them and we also got our first point at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League so we know we can go to these places and be positive.&quot;

The game will see Wales midfielder Joe Allen return to Anfield for the first time since moving to Stoke in a &pound;13 million ($15.9m, 15.2m euros) deal in the close season.

&quot;I don&#39;t think he&#39;s going to be turning up there with the intention, &#39;I&#39;ll show everybody they were wrong -- I feel bitter about my time there and how I was allowed to leave&#39;&quot;, said Hughes, who is without the banned Marko Arnautovic.

&quot;Clubs move players on. That&#39;s football. I think players always want to do well when they go back to a club, but he has nothing to prove.&quot;

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Liverpool are six points short of league leaders Chelsea

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes a little more luck on the injury front is all that is separating his team from Premier League leaders Chelsea as the Reds prepare to face Stoke City on Tuesday. The Anfield club spent Christmas in second place in the Premier League table but trailed Chelsea by six points as they struggle to stay in touch with Antonio Conte's in-form side. Liverpool have only lost twice all season but are currently missing the influential Philippe Coutinho as they prepare for the first of two home games before the end of the year. "I am pretty sure that until now Chelsea are maybe the team that have had the most luck with injuries. We lost Phil and Daniel (Sturridge) and Danny Ings in difficult moments when you really could use them," Klopp told Sky Sports News. "If it's Hazard and Costa at Chelsea, is it the same afterwards?" Coutinho is not likely to return before the new year due to an ankle injury while defender Joel Matip is also struggling as the Reds look forward to welcoming Stoke and then Pep Guardiola's Manchester City to Merseyside over the next week. "We cannot rush the situation and we don't want to rush it. We have to accept the more or less bigger steps in his improvement with this serious injury," Klopp said of Coutinho. "Whenever he is back, the season is long enough that he can help us. We cannot rush it just because there are a few games now. That cannot have an influence on our decisions." Klopp, who had his squad in for training on Christmas Day despite the extra 24 hours to prepare for the visit of Stoke, could stick with an unchanged starting line-up as Liverpool look to build on successive wins at Middlesbrough and Everton. Simon Mignolet should keep his place in goal after recording clean sheets in these matches as Liverpool look to maintain their impressive record at home. They are unbeaten in nine home games in all competitions this season and haven't lost at Anfield since Stoke won 1-0 there in the EFL Cup semi-final second leg on January 26 -- Liverpool eventually won that tie on penalties. 'Be positive' Mid-table Stoke head to Merseyside having failed to win in three matches, including a 2-2 draw at home to Leicester City in their last outing when they squandered a two-goal lead. Stoke could not have asked for a tougher festive period, with this game being followed by a trip to Chelsea on New Year's Eve but Hughes is backing his team to spring a surprise. "We are under no illusions as to how good they both are and how difficult the matches will be for us, but we have to go into the games with real belief," said Hughes. "Not many people are thinking we have a chance of gaining positive results but that certainly isn't the case within our camp. "Of course they have players who can hurt us, but we have players who can hurt them too. We went to Liverpool last year and beat them and we also got our first point at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League so we know we can go to these places and be positive." The game will see Wales midfielder Joe Allen return to Anfield for the first time since moving to Stoke in a £13 million ($15.9m, 15.2m euros) deal in the close season. "I don't think he's going to be turning up there with the intention, 'I'll show everybody they were wrong -- I feel bitter about my time there and how I was allowed to leave'", said Hughes, who is without the banned Marko Arnautovic. "Clubs move players on. That's football. I think players always want to do well when they go back to a club, but he has nothing to prove." (AFP)

Klopp says little more luck on injury front, and they'll go top

West Ham United will welcome back defender Aaron Cresswell and midfielder Michail Antonio for Sunday&#39;s Premier League trip to Liverpool, but Cheikhou Kouyate will miss the game.

All three players picked up groin injuries in West Ham&#39;s League Cup defeat by Manchester United on November 30.

&quot;From the three players who got injured in the EFL Cup game, a couple of them should be back,&quot; manager Slaven Bilic told a news conference on Friday.

&quot;Antonio and Cresswell are training with us today after the press conference and according to the medical reports they are fit and they are okay.

&quot;With Cheikhou Kouyate, it is a little bit different. We were hoping he would be okay for Sunday&#39;s game, but unfortunately, he will have to miss it.

&quot;It&#39;s not a big injury, but he has a great chance to make it for the Burnley game in midweek.&quot;

West Ham are 17th in the table and have not won in the league since October, but the under pressure Bilic said he had spoken to the club&#39;s chairman David Sullivan and felt he still had the support of the club&#39;s hierarchy.

&quot;We didn&#39;t have a meeting, we had a conversation like we normally have,&quot; the manager added.

&quot;Since I&#39;ve been here, I speak to the chairman a couple of days after every game. After Saturday&#39;s game we spoke on Monday and had a good conversation, but not a meeting.

&quot;I feel the support and have said that so many times and I felt that support in our conversation this week. I believe in myself and my staff and look at what we achieved last year and I believe there is time to turn it around.&quot;

West Ham&#39;s last league outing ended in a 5-1 home defeat by Arsenal, and Bilic said his players had reacted well in training ahead of their trip to third-placed Liverpool.

&quot;We all felt bad last Saturday,&quot; he added. &quot;We were one-down after 70 minutes so to lose 5-1 left us disappointed, frustrated and angry but you have to get over it, which we have done and we have a big game on Sunday.

&quot;I have told the players we have got to be positive and I&#39;ve had a great reaction from them this week in training.&quot;

(Reuters)

Both players, along with Cheikhou Kouyate, picked up groin injuries in West Ham's League Cup defeat by Manchester United on November 30

West Ham United will welcome back defender Aaron Cresswell and midfielder Michail Antonio for Sunday's Premier League trip to Liverpool, but Cheikhou Kouyate will miss the game. All three players picked up groin injuries in West Ham's League Cup defeat by Manchester United on November 30. "From the three players who got injured in the EFL Cup game, a couple of them should be back," manager Slaven Bilic told a news conference on Friday. "Antonio and Cresswell are training with us today after the press conference and according to the medical reports they are fit and they are okay. "With Cheikhou Kouyate, it is a little bit different. We were hoping he would be okay for Sunday's game, but unfortunately, he will have to miss it. "It's not a big injury, but he has a great chance to make it for the Burnley game in midweek." West Ham are 17th in the table and have not won in the league since October, but the under pressure Bilic said he had spoken to the club's chairman David Sullivan and felt he still had the support of the club's hierarchy. "We didn't have a meeting, we had a conversation like we normally have," the manager added. "Since I've been here, I speak to the chairman a couple of days after every game. After Saturday's game we spoke on Monday and had a good conversation, but not a meeting. "I feel the support and have said that so many times and I felt that support in our conversation this week. I believe in myself and my staff and look at what we achieved last year and I believe there is time to turn it around." West Ham's last league outing ended in a 5-1 home defeat by Arsenal, and Bilic said his players had reacted well in training ahead of their trip to third-placed Liverpool. "We all felt bad last Saturday," he added. "We were one-down after 70 minutes so to lose 5-1 left us disappointed, frustrated and angry but you have to get over it, which we have done and we have a big game on Sunday. "I have told the players we have got to be positive and I've had a great reaction from them this week in training." (Reuters)

West Ham's Antonio, Creswell back for Liverpool trip

Liverpool starlet Ben Woodburn made history as the teenage striker became the club&#39;s youngest ever goalscorer in Tuesday&#39;s 2-0 win over Leeds in the League Cup quarter-finals.

Aged 17 years and 45 days, Woodburn enjoyed a moment to remember forever in the 81st minute at Anfield when he fired home in front of the famous Kop End to eclipse the previous record set by Michael Owen, who was 17 years and 143 days old when he scored against Wimbledon in May 1997.

Cheshire-born Woodburn, who recently signed a long-term contract with Liverpool, is a Wales Under-19 international, but he still remains eligible to play for England at senior level.

Klopp`s side are through to the League Cup semi-finals for the third successive year thanks to Woodburn and Divock Origi.

Klopp has now won seven of his nine League Cup games with Liverpool, who hope to lift the trophy for the ninth time after losing to Manchester City in the final last term.Before kick-off, Liverpool`s Brazilian captain Lucas and his team-mates, all wearing black armbands, stood for a minutes` silence following the plane crash that killed 71 people, including members of the Brazilian Chapecoense team.

With Philippe Coutinho sidelined for five weeks with ankle ligament damage, Klopp gave starts to teenagers Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ovie Ejaria as the Reds boss selected a team featuring eight changes.

Second tier Leeds, whose last League Cup semi-final appearance was in 1996, should have been ahead early on when Hadi Sacko broke the offside trap and saw his shot saved by Simon Mignolet.

Liverpool gradually took charge and Sadio Mane`s pass slipped Georginio Wijnaldum into the penalty area, but the Dutchman&#39;s shot struck the far post.

Then, in the 76th minute, Alexander-Arnold whipped in a cross from the right and Belgian striker Origi stretched to guide the ball home at the near post for his fourth goal of the season and third in the League Cup.

Woodburn came on in the 67th minute and his dream came to true when he smashed home a flowing move involving Origi, Mane and Wijnaldum in the 81st minute.

(AFP)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Ben Woodburn became Liverpool's youngest scorer as the team beat Leeds 2-0 to reach the semis of the League Cup

Liverpool starlet Ben Woodburn made history as the teenage striker became the club's youngest ever goalscorer in Tuesday's 2-0 win over Leeds in the League Cup quarter-finals. Aged 17 years and 45 days, Woodburn enjoyed a moment to remember forever in the 81st minute at Anfield when he fired home in front of the famous Kop End to eclipse the previous record set by Michael Owen, who was 17 years and 143 days old when he scored against Wimbledon in May 1997. Cheshire-born Woodburn, who recently signed a long-term contract with Liverpool, is a Wales Under-19 international, but he still remains eligible to play for England at senior level. Klopp`s side are through to the League Cup semi-finals for the third successive year thanks to Woodburn and Divock Origi. Klopp has now won seven of his nine League Cup games with Liverpool, who hope to lift the trophy for the ninth time after losing to Manchester City in the final last term.Before kick-off, Liverpool`s Brazilian captain Lucas and his team-mates, all wearing black armbands, stood for a minutes` silence following the plane crash that killed 71 people, including members of the Brazilian Chapecoense team. With Philippe Coutinho sidelined for five weeks with ankle ligament damage, Klopp gave starts to teenagers Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ovie Ejaria as the Reds boss selected a team featuring eight changes. Second tier Leeds, whose last League Cup semi-final appearance was in 1996, should have been ahead early on when Hadi Sacko broke the offside trap and saw his shot saved by Simon Mignolet. Liverpool gradually took charge and Sadio Mane`s pass slipped Georginio Wijnaldum into the penalty area, but the Dutchman's shot struck the far post. Then, in the 76th minute, Alexander-Arnold whipped in a cross from the right and Belgian striker Origi stretched to guide the ball home at the near post for his fourth goal of the season and third in the League Cup. Woodburn came on in the 67th minute and his dream came to true when he smashed home a flowing move involving Origi, Mane and Wijnaldum in the 81st minute. (AFP)

Record-breaker Woodburn helps Liverpool reach League Cup semis

Former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard announced his retirement from professional football on Thursday at the age of 36, calling time on an emblematic career.

Gerrard spent 17 years at his home-town club Liverpool, 12 as captain, and won nine honours including the 2005 Champions League before finishing his career with an 18-month stint at LA Galaxy.

&quot;Following recent media speculation surrounding my future, I can confirm my retirement from playing professional football,&quot; Gerrard said in a statement.

&quot;I have had an incredible career and am thankful for each and every moment of my time at Liverpool, England and LA Galaxy.&quot;

Although the Premier League title famously eluded him, Gerrard did win two FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Community Shield.

His finest hour came in Istanbul in May 2005, when he inspired Liverpool to come from 3-0 down against AC Milan at half-time of the Champions League final to win the club&#39;s fifth European Cup in a penalty shootout.

In total he made 710 appearances for Liverpool, the third-highest total behind Ian Callaghan and former team-mate Jamie Carragher, scoring 186 goals.

Gerrard made 114 appearances for England, a tally bettered only by Peter Shilton, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham, and scored 21 international goals.

He appeared at six major tournaments, captaining England at the 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup. 
&quot;I feel lucky to have experienced so many wonderful highlights over the course of my career,&quot; Gerrard said.

&quot;I am proud to have played over 700 games for Liverpool, many of which as captain, and to have played my part in helping the club to bring major honours back to Anfield, none more so than that famous night in Istanbul.

&quot;At an international level, I feel privileged to have won 114 England caps and to have had the honour of captaining my country.&quot;Gerrard has been linked with a coaching role at Liverpool and the club`s manager, Jurgen Klopp, said he would be welcomed back with open arms.

&quot;The door is always open for him,&quot; Klopp told a press conference.

&quot;If he wants to make a different career to his former career then we want to help him.&quot;

Gerrard, who has confirmed he turned down an approach from English third-tier side Milton Keynes Dons, said he would take his time before announcing his next move.

&quot;I am excited about the future and feel I still have a lot to offer the game, in whatever capacity that may be,&quot; he said.

&quot;I am currently taking my time to consider a number of options and will make an announcement with regards to the next stage of my career very soon.&quot;

Gerrard said he could no longer ignore the physical signs that his best days were behind him.

&quot;The body starts talking to you, the pains and the aches get more regular, the way you feel out there on the pitch changes,&quot; he told BT Sport.

&quot;Important people in the game who I trust and have a lot of respect for have said to me: &#39;Always go with a tiny bit left. Never overstay your welcome and play on too long where it becomes embarrassing.&#39;

&quot;I can feel that`s not too far away, so now`s the right time.&quot;

Asked if he would like to pursue a career in coaching or punditry, he said: &quot;I think I`d like to do a bit of both.&quot;Born in Whiston, Merseyside, Gerrard joined Liverpool&#39;s academy at the age of nine and made his first-team debut aged 18 as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers in November 1998.

After quickly establishing himself as a dominant force in Liverpool`s midfield, he made his England debut against Ukraine in May 2000.

He got his first taste of silverware under Gerard Houllier in the 2000-01 season, when Liverpool won a treble of FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup honours.

He launched Liverpool`s fightback against Istanbul with a glancing header and scored a 35-yard thunderbolt the following season to inspire his side to victory over West Ham United in the FA Cup final.

Twice strongly linked with moves to Chelsea, he elected to stay with Liverpool, but apart from a third League Cup crown in 2012, the rest of his career proved fallow in terms of silverware.

Liverpool looked to be on course for the Premier League title under Brendan Rodgers in 2014, only for a calamitous slip by Gerrard in a match against Chelsea to clear Manchester City&#39;s path to the title.

He followed in Beckham`s footsteps with a late-career stint in Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy.

&quot;Ability-wise, he was the best midfielder I`ve ever seen,&quot; said former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy. 
Liverpool tweeted simply: &quot;Legend.&quot;

(AFP)

Gerrard spent 17 years at his home-town club Liverpool, 12 as captain, and won nine honours including the 2005 Champions League

Former Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard announced his retirement from professional football on Thursday at the age of 36, calling time on an emblematic career. Gerrard spent 17 years at his home-town club Liverpool, 12 as captain, and won nine honours including the 2005 Champions League before finishing his career with an 18-month stint at LA Galaxy. "Following recent media speculation surrounding my future, I can confirm my retirement from playing professional football," Gerrard said in a statement. "I have had an incredible career and am thankful for each and every moment of my time at Liverpool, England and LA Galaxy." Although the Premier League title famously eluded him, Gerrard did win two FA Cups, three League Cups, the UEFA Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and the Community Shield. His finest hour came in Istanbul in May 2005, when he inspired Liverpool to come from 3-0 down against AC Milan at half-time of the Champions League final to win the club's fifth European Cup in a penalty shootout. In total he made 710 appearances for Liverpool, the third-highest total behind Ian Callaghan and former team-mate Jamie Carragher, scoring 186 goals. Gerrard made 114 appearances for England, a tally bettered only by Peter Shilton, Wayne Rooney and David Beckham, and scored 21 international goals. He appeared at six major tournaments, captaining England at the 2010 World Cup, Euro 2012 and the 2014 World Cup. "I feel lucky to have experienced so many wonderful highlights over the course of my career," Gerrard said. "I am proud to have played over 700 games for Liverpool, many of which as captain, and to have played my part in helping the club to bring major honours back to Anfield, none more so than that famous night in Istanbul. "At an international level, I feel privileged to have won 114 England caps and to have had the honour of captaining my country."Gerrard has been linked with a coaching role at Liverpool and the club`s manager, Jurgen Klopp, said he would be welcomed back with open arms. "The door is always open for him," Klopp told a press conference. "If he wants to make a different career to his former career then we want to help him." Gerrard, who has confirmed he turned down an approach from English third-tier side Milton Keynes Dons, said he would take his time before announcing his next move. "I am excited about the future and feel I still have a lot to offer the game, in whatever capacity that may be," he said. "I am currently taking my time to consider a number of options and will make an announcement with regards to the next stage of my career very soon." Gerrard said he could no longer ignore the physical signs that his best days were behind him. "The body starts talking to you, the pains and the aches get more regular, the way you feel out there on the pitch changes," he told BT Sport. "Important people in the game who I trust and have a lot of respect for have said to me: 'Always go with a tiny bit left. Never overstay your welcome and play on too long where it becomes embarrassing.' "I can feel that`s not too far away, so now`s the right time." Asked if he would like to pursue a career in coaching or punditry, he said: "I think I`d like to do a bit of both."Born in Whiston, Merseyside, Gerrard joined Liverpool's academy at the age of nine and made his first-team debut aged 18 as a substitute against Blackburn Rovers in November 1998. After quickly establishing himself as a dominant force in Liverpool`s midfield, he made his England debut against Ukraine in May 2000. He got his first taste of silverware under Gerard Houllier in the 2000-01 season, when Liverpool won a treble of FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup honours. He launched Liverpool`s fightback against Istanbul with a glancing header and scored a 35-yard thunderbolt the following season to inspire his side to victory over West Ham United in the FA Cup final. Twice strongly linked with moves to Chelsea, he elected to stay with Liverpool, but apart from a third League Cup crown in 2012, the rest of his career proved fallow in terms of silverware. Liverpool looked to be on course for the Premier League title under Brendan Rodgers in 2014, only for a calamitous slip by Gerrard in a match against Chelsea to clear Manchester City's path to the title. He followed in Beckham`s footsteps with a late-career stint in Major League Soccer with LA Galaxy. "Ability-wise, he was the best midfielder I`ve ever seen," said former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy. Liverpool tweeted simply: "Legend." (AFP)

Football: Liverpool great Gerrard calls time on career

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged his players to &ldquo;be cool&rdquo; after his side went top of the Premier League for the first time since he arrived at Anfield.

Klopp watched Liverpool produce one of their most emphatic displays of the season as they thrashed Watford 6-1.

Sadio Mane scored twice while Philippe Coutinho, Emre Can, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum also got their names on the scoresheet as Liverpool produced the kind of performance that will further fuel title talk.

However, Klopp was keen to urge caution despite the fervour whipped up by the red half of Merseyside, who have not seen Liverpool win the league title since 1990.

&ldquo;If somebody thinks being one point ahead after 11 matchdays is a big sign for the rest of the season, I can&#39;t help this person, so sorry,&rdquo; Klopp said.

&ldquo;We stay cool, it&#39;s the best position I can imagine, nothing else happened. We didn&#39;t speak one word that Arsenal drew against Tottenham, not one word about the possibility of being top of the table.

&ldquo;The only thing you can do is work and stay concentrated, because a lot of different things could happen in the next few weeks and months. No matter how positive they are is up to us, actually.&rdquo;

Klopp insisted that the extra scrutiny on his side as they head into the international break top of the pile for the first time since May 2014 will not affect them.

&nbsp;No pressure&nbsp; 
He added &ldquo;There is no pressure after 11 matchdays. Chelsea played yesterday, quite impressive. We saw Manchester City play Barcelona, quite impressive.

&ldquo;Never write Manchester United off. Tottenham, good side. I&#39;m not sure if I&#39;ve forgotten anybody but there&#39;s a lot of really good teams around.

&ldquo;You can play a really good season and when they are better what&#39;s possible is you could be fifth or sixth and no one would be really happy.&nbsp;

&quot;Stay cool, take the things like they are, play your best football and win football games. That&#39;s the only thing you can do.

&ldquo;When I came here I asked for time, patience, belief, a lot of things. Now after 11 matchdays everybody is asking for guarantees and they are not there, there&#39;s no guarantees.&nbsp;

&quot;The only thing we obviously have is a pretty good football team, let&#39;s try to use it.&rdquo;

While Klopp was keen to take the sting out of any title talk, Watford manager Walter Mazzarri was happy to rank Liverpool as his favourites.

Watford have played Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United this season but Mazzarri was adamant where Liverpool are in the pecking order for Premier League title challengers.

&ldquo;From the teams we have played against, there is no doubt they are the team I am most impressed with,&rdquo; said the Italian.

&ldquo;If they continue like this, they are number one in my list for winning the Premier League.

&ldquo;I am very very impressed, not only tactically but on their running, their pressing, they are really a great team.&rdquo;&nbsp;

Watford lost goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes to an injury in the 33rd minute of the game and the Brazilian left Anfield his knee heavily strapped up, although Mazzarri does not know the extent of the blow.

&ldquo;He had a very big knock on the knee,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;But we need to check in the next days if the knee twisted and we will know in the next days.&rdquo; 
&nbsp;

(AFP)

Talk has begun of a title challenge; the Reds last won the league in 1990

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has urged his players to “be cool” after his side went top of the Premier League for the first time since he arrived at Anfield. Klopp watched Liverpool produce one of their most emphatic displays of the season as they thrashed Watford 6-1. Sadio Mane scored twice while Philippe Coutinho, Emre Can, Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum also got their names on the scoresheet as Liverpool produced the kind of performance that will further fuel title talk. However, Klopp was keen to urge caution despite the fervour whipped up by the red half of Merseyside, who have not seen Liverpool win the league title since 1990. “If somebody thinks being one point ahead after 11 matchdays is a big sign for the rest of the season, I can't help this person, so sorry,” Klopp said. “We stay cool, it's the best position I can imagine, nothing else happened. We didn't speak one word that Arsenal drew against Tottenham, not one word about the possibility of being top of the table. “The only thing you can do is work and stay concentrated, because a lot of different things could happen in the next few weeks and months. No matter how positive they are is up to us, actually.” Klopp insisted that the extra scrutiny on his side as they head into the international break top of the pile for the first time since May 2014 will not affect them. No pressure He added “There is no pressure after 11 matchdays. Chelsea played yesterday, quite impressive. We saw Manchester City play Barcelona, quite impressive. “Never write Manchester United off. Tottenham, good side. I'm not sure if I've forgotten anybody but there's a lot of really good teams around. “You can play a really good season and when they are better what's possible is you could be fifth or sixth and no one would be really happy. "Stay cool, take the things like they are, play your best football and win football games. That's the only thing you can do. “When I came here I asked for time, patience, belief, a lot of things. Now after 11 matchdays everybody is asking for guarantees and they are not there, there's no guarantees. "The only thing we obviously have is a pretty good football team, let's try to use it.” While Klopp was keen to take the sting out of any title talk, Watford manager Walter Mazzarri was happy to rank Liverpool as his favourites. Watford have played Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United this season but Mazzarri was adamant where Liverpool are in the pecking order for Premier League title challengers. “From the teams we have played against, there is no doubt they are the team I am most impressed with,” said the Italian. “If they continue like this, they are number one in my list for winning the Premier League. “I am very very impressed, not only tactically but on their running, their pressing, they are really a great team.” Watford lost goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes to an injury in the 33rd minute of the game and the Brazilian left Anfield his knee heavily strapped up, although Mazzarri does not know the extent of the blow. “He had a very big knock on the knee,” he added. “But we need to check in the next days if the knee twisted and we will know in the next days.” (AFP)

'Be cool', Liverpool's Klopp says after they go top of table

An 81st-minute Gareth McAuley goal prevented Liverpool from provisionally going top in the Premier League as they defeated West Bromwich Albion 2-1 on Saturday.

Needing a two-goal win to move above leaders Arsenal, Liverpool took a 2-0 lead through Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho, but McAuley&#39;s strike left them in second place on goal difference.

&quot;I&#39;m really pleased with the performance,&quot; Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports. &quot;It was unbelievably difficult against West Brom. You have to always concentrate. They are so dangerous at set-pieces. But I think it would have been kind of a joke if we hadn&#39;t won today. It was unbelievable, how we played.&quot;

Klopp made one change to the Liverpool team held 0-0 by United last Monday, with the fit-again Adam Lallana returning to the starting XI at the expense of Daniel Sturridge.

Arsenal had earlier been held to a 0-0 draw by Middlesbrough. Arsenal, 6-0 winners over Ludogorets Razgrad in the Champions League in mid-week, were seeking an eighth successive win in all competitions.

But Middlesbrough came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half at the Emirates Stadium when Gaston Ramirez curled a 21st-minute free-kick against the post.

Arsenal dominated the second half, but had goalkeeper Petr Cech to thank for ensuring the visitors&#39; counter-attacks came to nought.

Fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur too played out a goalless stalemate at Bournemouth. Both teams hit the woodwork in the early stages, Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris diverting Charlie Daniels&#39;s shot onto the bar and Erik Lamela clipping the post from distance.

Tottenham extended their unbeaten start to the season to nine games. &quot;We had control, but we didn&#39;t create enough chances to score,&quot; said Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino. &quot;I think we need to be pleased in the end because it&#39;s one point more, one clean sheet, but it&#39;s true for us to be contenders we should be winning the games like today.&quot;

Pep Guardiola&#39;s Manchester City can reclaim first place by avoiding defeat at home to Southampton on Sunday, when Jose Mourinho makes his return to Chelsea with Manchester United.

(AFP) 
&nbsp;

Liverpool, which needed a two-goal win to replace leaders Arsenal, missed out on goal difference

An 81st-minute Gareth McAuley goal prevented Liverpool from provisionally going top in the Premier League as they defeated West Bromwich Albion 2-1 on Saturday. Needing a two-goal win to move above leaders Arsenal, Liverpool took a 2-0 lead through Sadio Mane and Philippe Coutinho, but McAuley's strike left them in second place on goal difference. "I'm really pleased with the performance," Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told Sky Sports. "It was unbelievably difficult against West Brom. You have to always concentrate. They are so dangerous at set-pieces. But I think it would have been kind of a joke if we hadn't won today. It was unbelievable, how we played." Klopp made one change to the Liverpool team held 0-0 by United last Monday, with the fit-again Adam Lallana returning to the starting XI at the expense of Daniel Sturridge. Arsenal had earlier been held to a 0-0 draw by Middlesbrough. Arsenal, 6-0 winners over Ludogorets Razgrad in the Champions League in mid-week, were seeking an eighth successive win in all competitions. But Middlesbrough came closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half at the Emirates Stadium when Gaston Ramirez curled a 21st-minute free-kick against the post. Arsenal dominated the second half, but had goalkeeper Petr Cech to thank for ensuring the visitors' counter-attacks came to nought. Fourth-place Tottenham Hotspur too played out a goalless stalemate at Bournemouth. Both teams hit the woodwork in the early stages, Spurs goalkeeper Hugo Lloris diverting Charlie Daniels's shot onto the bar and Erik Lamela clipping the post from distance. Tottenham extended their unbeaten start to the season to nine games. "We had control, but we didn't create enough chances to score," said Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino. "I think we need to be pleased in the end because it's one point more, one clean sheet, but it's true for us to be contenders we should be winning the games like today." Pep Guardiola's Manchester City can reclaim first place by avoiding defeat at home to Southampton on Sunday, when Jose Mourinho makes his return to Chelsea with Manchester United. (AFP)

English Premier League: Liverpool climb to second spot as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur misfire

One of the most eagerly-awaited clashes of the Premier League season turned into a major letdown as Liverpool and Manchester United nullified each other in a largely undistinguished goalless draw at Anfield on Monday.

After all the hype preceding the battle between English football&#39;s fiercest rivals, United&#39;s manager Jose Mourinho was left happier than his counterpart Juergen Klopp as the visitors doused Liverpool&#39;s acclaimed attacking pyrotechnics.

The home side, full of goals all season, proved desperately disappointing until finding some second-half drive and may have still felt they deserved the win as United goalkeeper David de Gea had to make fine saves from Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho.&nbsp;

Mourinho, the master of stifling Anfield dreams when at Chelsea, again found his tactical mastery rewarded but United, seventh in the table on 14 points, have still won just one of their last five league games while Liverpool stay fourth on 17, two behind leaders Manchester City and Arsenal.

The Portuguese sounded particularly satisfied as he suggested United&#39;s ability to keep a clean sheet against their hosts had shown &quot;they (Liverpool) are not the last wonder of the world like you like to say they are&quot;.

Klopp, though, talked of &quot;mixed feelings&quot;, admitting it had been a poor spectacle.

&quot;I am not frustrated but I am not happy with the performance. No one will show this game in 10 or 20 years but we could have played better.

&quot;We get a point. It doesn&#39;t feel like the best thing but it is what we got.&quot;

His usually whirlwind Liverpool were effectively subdued in the first half as Mourinho reverted to conservative type, bringing in Marouane Fellaini to partner Ander Herrera in a stifling central midfield combination.

Throwing men behind the ball and taking the voice out of the passionate home crowd, United controlled most of the play in the opening half-hour even if a 40-metre Zlatan Ibrahimovic free kick blasted into row Z was their lowest of highlights.

Liverpool, without the injured Georginio Wijnaldum and forced to leave Adam Lallana on the bench, never got going, with Daniel Sturridge proving disappointing, and they looked nervous in front of their fevered fans.

It took them more than half an hour before a Roberto Firmino header straight at De Gea represented their first attempt on goal.

It was only after the break that they began to show glimpses of their true colours, Can wriggling through to force a fine one-handed save from De Gea at full stretch before the Spanish keeper delivered an even finer stop, flying through the air to tip Coutinho&#39;s curler wide.

A brilliant last-gasp challenge by Antonio Valencia deprived Firmino but United, for all their solidity, had only one effort on target and looked back ruefully on their best chance, a tame header across goal from Ibrahimovic after a great delivery from Paul Pogba.

(Reuters)

Man United, seventh in the table, have still won just one of their last five league games while Liverpool stay fourth

One of the most eagerly-awaited clashes of the Premier League season turned into a major letdown as Liverpool and Manchester United nullified each other in a largely undistinguished goalless draw at Anfield on Monday. After all the hype preceding the battle between English football's fiercest rivals, United's manager Jose Mourinho was left happier than his counterpart Juergen Klopp as the visitors doused Liverpool's acclaimed attacking pyrotechnics. The home side, full of goals all season, proved desperately disappointing until finding some second-half drive and may have still felt they deserved the win as United goalkeeper David de Gea had to make fine saves from Emre Can and Philippe Coutinho. Mourinho, the master of stifling Anfield dreams when at Chelsea, again found his tactical mastery rewarded but United, seventh in the table on 14 points, have still won just one of their last five league games while Liverpool stay fourth on 17, two behind leaders Manchester City and Arsenal. The Portuguese sounded particularly satisfied as he suggested United's ability to keep a clean sheet against their hosts had shown "they (Liverpool) are not the last wonder of the world like you like to say they are". Klopp, though, talked of "mixed feelings", admitting it had been a poor spectacle. "I am not frustrated but I am not happy with the performance. No one will show this game in 10 or 20 years but we could have played better. "We get a point. It doesn't feel like the best thing but it is what we got." His usually whirlwind Liverpool were effectively subdued in the first half as Mourinho reverted to conservative type, bringing in Marouane Fellaini to partner Ander Herrera in a stifling central midfield combination. Throwing men behind the ball and taking the voice out of the passionate home crowd, United controlled most of the play in the opening half-hour even if a 40-metre Zlatan Ibrahimovic free kick blasted into row Z was their lowest of highlights. Liverpool, without the injured Georginio Wijnaldum and forced to leave Adam Lallana on the bench, never got going, with Daniel Sturridge proving disappointing, and they looked nervous in front of their fevered fans. It took them more than half an hour before a Roberto Firmino header straight at De Gea represented their first attempt on goal. It was only after the break that they began to show glimpses of their true colours, Can wriggling through to force a fine one-handed save from De Gea at full stretch before the Spanish keeper delivered an even finer stop, flying through the air to tip Coutinho's curler wide. A brilliant last-gasp challenge by Antonio Valencia deprived Firmino but United, for all their solidity, had only one effort on target and looked back ruefully on their best chance, a tame header across goal from Ibrahimovic after a great delivery from Paul Pogba. (Reuters)

Liverpool, Manchester United play out drab draw

Ahead of Monday&#39;s game against Liverpool, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has asked supporters of both teams to show restraint when two of football&#39;s fiercest rivals face-off in the Premier League.

&quot;In football, we have some &#39;football tragedies&#39;, which is the big match that you lost, the mistake that some player did and you can make fun of it in a positive way. But the human tragedy is something much, much more serious and I think is the last thing somebody should use on a football pitch, Mourinho told the press. &quot;These need our respect, so I would be really sad if in such a big football match that was a negative point.&quot;

He was referring to last season&#39;s Europa League last-16 tie when both clubs were fined for chants mocking the Hillsborough and Munich tragedies faced by their teams.

In 1958, 23 people, including eight United players, died after their plane caught fire and crashed in Munich. In 1989, 96 Liverpool fans died after being crushed during an FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough.

On Thursday, the two clubs also warned their supporters to behave in a joint statement.

Mourinho, who has faced Liverpool many times as Chelsea manager, also said he was looking forward to the match at Anfield and liked the atmosphere there.

&quot;I always like to play at Anfield. I won many times there, I also lost. I won big matches, I lost big matches. I cannot say I like to go there because I&#39;m always successful because it&#39;s not true. I like to go there, I like the atmosphere, said the Portuguese.

&quot;Being Man United manager obviously means something more because we cannot compare the historical rivalry between my previous club and Liverpool, Man United and Liverpool,&quot; he added. &quot;I&#39;m in England for a long time. Obviously I never played this match but I played many times against Liverpool, United. I understand the dimension of the clubs and now I understand better the history between the rivals.&quot;

&quot;In the end, it&#39;s just a big match. It can be comparable to Milan v Inter Milan, (Real) Madrid v Barcelona, maybe Porto v Benfica, maybe comparable to one of these matches.&quot;

He also clarified that the outcome would not impact United&#39;s season.

&quot;The season for me is not about the Anfield match though, or Old Trafford in January. It&#39;s about many matches, many points to win, many points to lose and targets to achieve.&quot; 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

The Manchester United manager does not want a repeat of last season's debacle when both teams were fined for mocking each other

Ahead of Monday's game against Liverpool, Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has asked supporters of both teams to show restraint when two of football's fiercest rivals face-off in the Premier League. "In football, we have some 'football tragedies', which is the big match that you lost, the mistake that some player did and you can make fun of it in a positive way. But the human tragedy is something much, much more serious and I think is the last thing somebody should use on a football pitch, Mourinho told the press. "These need our respect, so I would be really sad if in such a big football match that was a negative point." He was referring to last season's Europa League last-16 tie when both clubs were fined for chants mocking the Hillsborough and Munich tragedies faced by their teams. In 1958, 23 people, including eight United players, died after their plane caught fire and crashed in Munich. In 1989, 96 Liverpool fans died after being crushed during an FA Cup semi-final with Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough. On Thursday, the two clubs also warned their supporters to behave in a joint statement. Mourinho, who has faced Liverpool many times as Chelsea manager, also said he was looking forward to the match at Anfield and liked the atmosphere there. "I always like to play at Anfield. I won many times there, I also lost. I won big matches, I lost big matches. I cannot say I like to go there because I'm always successful because it's not true. I like to go there, I like the atmosphere, said the Portuguese. "Being Man United manager obviously means something more because we cannot compare the historical rivalry between my previous club and Liverpool, Man United and Liverpool," he added. "I'm in England for a long time. Obviously I never played this match but I played many times against Liverpool, United. I understand the dimension of the clubs and now I understand better the history between the rivals." "In the end, it's just a big match. It can be comparable to Milan v Inter Milan, (Real) Madrid v Barcelona, maybe Porto v Benfica, maybe comparable to one of these matches." He also clarified that the outcome would not impact United's season. "The season for me is not about the Anfield match though, or Old Trafford in January. It's about many matches, many points to win, many points to lose and targets to achieve." (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Jose Mourinho asks supporters to behave ahead of United-Liverpool game

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