FA Cup
Klopp salutes Liverpool as ‘best ever’ display seals FA Cup final place
Jurgen Klopp hailed one of Liverpool’s “best ever” performances as the quadruple chasers reached the FA Cup final with a “special” 3-2 win against Manchester City on Saturday (April 16).
Klopp’s side kept alive their bid to win all four major trophies in a single seasons thanks to Ibrahima Konate’s opener and Sadio Mane’s double at Wembley.
Liverpool were three goals up by half-time as they tore City apart with a scintillating display that Klopp rated among the very finest of his reign.
City hit back with second half goals from Jack Grealish and Bernardo Silva, but it wasn’t enough to stop the Reds reaching their first FA Cup final since 2012.
“Absolutely proud, incredible. The first half was one of the best we ever played. We did all the right stuff, we scored in the right moments. We were outstanding. I loved each second of it,” Klopp said.
“The second half started with the goal for Man City and then it opens up. The quality of City is insane.
“We respect City so much and it’s so difficult to win against them. But because we have these boys in our dressing room we have a chance.”
Liverpool are embroiled in a fierce title fight with City, who are one point clear of Klopp’s men at the top of the Premier League with seven games left.
They shared a pulsating 2-2 draw in Manchester in the league last weekend, and could still meet in the Champions League final.
Asked if their FA Cup semi-final success could be the springboard to pip City in both the Premier League and Champions League, Klopp said: “It’s not a statement, we are just in the final.
“I think City knew beforehand that it could be difficult against us, that’s how it has been between us most of the time.”
While Liverpool are a step closer to football immortality, Klopp insists the fixture congestion caused by their progress to another final will make the quadruple harder to achieve.
‘Special moment’
“The quadruple talk I can’t believe it. Qualifying for this final makes the quadruple even more difficult,” he said.
“I don’t think we have a full free week before the last matchday. But we beat the strongest team in the world and that’s a pretty special moment.”
There is no rest for Liverpool in their trophy chase as they host Manchester United on Tuesday.
“In three days, we play against United, who are fighting for a Champions League place. Historically, it is not a friendly game,” he said.
“Then we play Everton, with the situation they are in it will not be a friendly game. It (the quadruple) is just incredibly unlikely but let’s go for it.”
Pep Guardiola’s decision to field a weakened team will be second-guessed, but City’s manager is adamant he was right to leave Kevin De Bruyne on the bench after the Belgian needed stitches in a foot injury.
With City’s treble bid over, Guardiola has to revive his fatigued players quickly if they are to hold off Liverpool in the Premier League and beat Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals.
“I have a lot of confidence in my players and the selection. We had a terrible time in terms of fixtures and travel. That’s why we need the fresh legs,” he said.
“The first half we were so passive. We were scared to support our team-mates. In the second half we showed incredible pride when you talk about being tired. We had chances for extra-time.
“We tried to put energy in the players, but sometimes it happens. It is Liverpool.”
Guardiola refused to blame Zack Steffen for City’s defeat as the American keeper’s mistake led to Mane scoring Liverpool’s second goal.
“It was an accident. Ederson was close (to doing it) in the other game. The way we use our keepers, the way we move them around, I would say the averages, it can happen,” he said.
“We have four days until the next game (against Brighton). We have to recover well for the two competitions we are in.”
-AFP
The first weekend of semi-automated offside decisions in English soccer descended into confusion on Saturday as Bournemouth had a goal ruled out after a record eight-minute VAR check.
Bournemouth, who eventually beat Premier League rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers on penalties in the FA Cup fifth round after a 1-1 draw, thought they had doubled their lead when defender Milos Kerkez scored in the 35th-minute goal.
However, new technology could not be used because the six-yard area was too crowded and VAR officials had to revert to manually drawing lines before disallowing the goal.
Fellow defender Dean Huijsen was adjudged to have been in an offside position as Kerkez’s effort brushed his shoulder before going in to the net.
The VAR check was further complicated as VAR officials Timothy Wood and Darren England also had to also examine the possibility of hand balls prior to the tight offside call.
Both sets of fans voiced their disapproval at the interminable wait, chanting “it’s not football any more” and “this is embarrassing”.
Referee Sam Barrott, who eventually announced the decision to the crowd via a microphone, had to explain to the respective managers and players what was happening during the delay.
-Reuters
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FA Cup giant-killers Plymouth Argyle drew Premier League champions Manchester City on Monday as the second-tier side’s fifth-round reward for a shock defeat of Liverpool at the weekend.
Holders Manchester United will host Fulham at Old Trafford in one of at least three all-Premier League clashes, with League Cup finalists Newcastle United at home to top-tier rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.
Bournemouth will host Wolverhampton Wanderers in another all-top-flight encounter.
Struggling Plymouth caused one of the great upsets of the FA Cup on Sunday when they beat a second-string Liverpool 1-0, ending the Premier League leaders’ hopes of a quartet of trophies this season.
The Pilgrims are bottom of the Championship but City, who reached the fifth round with a 2-1 win at third-tier Leyton Orient on Saturday after going behind early on, have been misfiring this season.
There will be a fourth all-Premier League clash if Nottingham Forest avoid trouble at League One (third tier) Exeter City on Tuesday, with Ipswich Town awaiting the winners.
Aston Villa, who ended Tottenham Hotspur’s hopes on Sunday, host second tier Cardiff City.
The fifth round matches will be played on the weekend of March 1 and 2.
Last 16 draw:
- Preston North End v Burnley
- Aston Villa v Cardiff City
- Doncaster Rovers or Crystal Palace v Millwall
- Manchester United v Fulham
- Newcastle United v Brighton & Hove Albion
- Bournemouth v Wolverhampton Wanderers
- Manchester City v Plymouth Argyle
-Reuters
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A much-changed Liverpool were dumped out of the FA Cup by struggling second-tier side Plymouth Argyle, who pulled off a stunning 1-0 fourth-round win at Home Park on Sunday that put an end to the visitors’ hopes of a quadruple.
The hosts took the lead in the 53rd minute after they were awarded a penalty for a handball by midfielder Harvey Elliott and Ryan Hardie stepped up to send Liverpool goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher the wrong way.
Premier League leaders Liverpool were bereft of ideas and had just one shot on target in the opening half, with Plymouth keeper Conor Hazard making a diving save in the 36th minute to keep out James McConnell’s long-range shot.
Ahead of the Merseyside derby against Everton on Wednesday, Liverpool made wholesale changes with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker and Alexis Mac Allister among the big-names rested and left at home.
Liverpool, who were also forced into an early change when defender Joe Gomez went down injured, failed to create many chances in a scrappy encounter as Plymouth, who sit bottom of the second-tier Championship, gradually grew in confidence.
Arne Slot’s side switched gears after going down but Hazard proved to be the hero for Plymouth as the Northern Irishman brilliantly kept out Diogo Jota’s volley in added time, as well as a header from Darwin Nunez.
With Liverpool top of the Premier League, having strolled into the Champions League’s last 16 and reached the League Cup final, some fans and pundits had begun to speculate about a potential quadruple.
Plymouth’s remarkable victory, however, brought a shuddering halt to talk of clean sweep of silverware for Slot’s side, who had only lost three games all season, prior to Sunday.
Meanwhile, there was no surprise in the other FA Cup fourth-round tie with Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers beating second-tier Championship side Blackburn Rovers 2-0 at Ewood Park.
There was little to separate the two teams in the opening minutes before Wolves hit Blackburn with two rapid-fire goals through midfielder Joao Gomes in the 33rd minute and seconds later via forward Matheus Cunha.
Blackburn defender Dominic Hyam had the ball in the back of the net in the 19th minute, but his celebrations were cut short when the linesman’s flag went up for offside.
-Reuters
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