Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp insists their FA Cup fifth-round tie at Chelsea does not take on any more significance despite two defeats in three matches.
Watford brought a surprise end to a 44-match Premier League run at the weekend and, with a loss to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League two games previously, there has been a small stutter in the Reds’ imperious form this season.
They remain, however, still in the hunt for a treble with the next leg a last-16 tie at Stamford Bridge which probably attract more scrutiny than it would do otherwise as to how the players respond.
“The defeat has nothing to do with the line-up tomorrow night,” he said.
“Do we want to win the game more because we lost the last one? I don’t know because we want to win games constantly.
“This is the most important game we have because it is the only one we play and we have to win it if we want to go through.
“We never really think about lesser pressure or whatever. We are Liverpool, we always have to deliver. We play at Chelsea but everyone expects us to win.
“We don’t really think, it is not less pressure than before, it is just last 16 of the FA Cup and we want to go through and hopefully everyone can see that.”
“It didn’t distract us and no one can tell us how best to deal with runs like this because not a lot of teams had it.
“I was not happy with the performance (at Watford) but it was always clear there will be a moment when it could happen and now it has happened.”
A lot of fans were not happy with the performance of Dejan Lovren, who replaced Virgil Van Dijk’s long-term central defensive partner Joe Gomez at Vicarage Road because of a minor knock.
“It’s not fair, but that’s the world. If anybody gave Dejan Lovren the blame for our defeat then I can’t help these people,” said the Reds boss, who revealed Gomez and midfielder James Milner were fit to return to the squad.
“A lot of times in my life I speak to people and they know less than I do about football, that’s okay as I’m a well-paid Premier League manager and I should know more than most people.
“But on that level, I can’t discuss it.”
