Jurgen Klopp targets revenge as Liverpool face Chelsea again

By PA Sport

Saturday 29 September 2018 17:20, UK

Jurgen Klopp has his sights set on immediate revenge over Chelsea after they ended Liverpool's perfect start to the season.

Eden Hazard's superb late solo effort after coming off the bench clinched a 2-1 Carabao Cup victory for Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday night.

Both teams fielded largely second-string teams and will be back to full strength for Saturday's Premier League encounter at Stamford Bridge.

But Klopp admitted there is added motivation for the Reds, having tasted defeat for the first time in this campaign following seven consecutive victories in all competitions.

The Liverpool manager said: "We want to strike back, of course, but you lose once, it can happen.

"Striking back is a duty in sport, a big part of what I love. In a season you always play twice.

"It's not easy to play a team in August and then say in May 'let's strike back' but in three days, it's possible. Let's try.

"It will not be an easy game, both teams know that. But the best preparation for the Saturday game is the Wednesday game, because you can never know more about an opponent than in a match against them.

"Of course there will be a few different players on the pitch, but we try to use our information from Wednesday to do it better."

The league leaders can open up a five-point gap between themselves and Chelsea if they maintain their 100 per cent top-flight record this term.

"It's difficult enough to try to win the game or get a point at Chelsea, I don't think about the five-point gap, and the five-point gap with 31 games to go is nothing," said Klopp.

"It's only about gaining points on our account."

Klopp expects Trent Alexander-Arnold and Georginio Wijnaldum to feature against Chelsea after illness and a knock respectively, but Virgil van Dijk is a major injury doubt.