A very good afternoon to you, welcome to Stamford Bridge and a happy New Year,
the opening weekend of 2022 and one that feels like a critical afternoon
in the seasons of both Liverpool and Chelsea.
12 and 11 points respectively behind the champions, Manchester City,
who left it very late to win in North London against Arsenal yesterday.
Both Jürgen Klopp - who won't be here, of course, with Pep Lijnders taking charge -
and Thomas Tuchel go into this game with injuries and things to think about.
Welcome back, Mo Salah.
MIXED CHEERS AND JEERS
Come on!
Energy, come on!
♫ Liverpool, Liverpool, Liverpool... ♫
♫ Liiiverpool, Liiiverpool
♫ Liiiverpool, Liiiverpool. ♫
♫ All round the fields of Anfield Road
♫ Where one we watched King Kenny play
♫ And could he play!
♫ Stevie Heighway on the wing, we had dreams and songs to sing
♫ Of the glory round the fields of Anfield Road. ♫
♫ Sadioooo Mane!
♫ Running down the wing Mane!
♫ Hear the Kopites sing Mane!
♫ We won it in Madrid
♫ Sadioooo Mane! ♫
♫ Mo Salah! Mo Salah! Mo Salah!
♫ Running down the wing
♫ Salah-la-la, la-ahhh-ah... ♫
♫ Liverpool, Liverpool, Liverpool... ♫
LIVERPOOL FANS: Ohhh!
♫ Liverpool! Liverpool! Liverpool! ♫
CHELSEA FANS: Ohh!
♫ Liiiverpool, Liiiverpool
♫ Liiiverpool, Liiiverpool. ♫
Got to give credit to Chelsea, it's always a difficult place to come
so you've got to take the point and take the positives
and try and be better in the next match.
From your perspective it's a case of looking after Liverpool's business
and not worrying about what Man City are going to do from here on in?
Just past the halfway point, a lot can happen between now and May,
we're making sure we focus on ourselves and stay as positive as we can,
but it will be difficult, we'll need other teams to beat them.
It's about us making sure we're in a position to capitalise if they do drop points.
Pep, you could have won it, you possibly could have lost it as well,
what are the overriding emotions?
Pride, because we could have come here with a lot of excuses, but we didn't.
I think we attacked the game, which is a big compliment for the team,
because the way they fought throughout the whole game was incredible in my opinion.
Of course we can play better, we know this,
if we are clear in mind and connect the game better,
if we sometimes are a little bit more patient,
switching the sides to have control in their half,
because Chelsea is a team that want to have the ball.
These things we can do better, but the moments where we were clear in mind,
we created chances, and that's the good thing.
The players accepted it and did really well.
We were constantly in contact, Jürgen and myself,
and it was nice to hear his voice at half-time,
he sounds OK, but of course he should focus on his health and getting better.