Klopp rouses Reds for final push in quadruple chase

LONDON－Jurgen Klopp urged Liverpool to make one last push for the quadruple after it beat Chelsea on penalties in the FA Cup final to keep its history bid alive.

Klopp's side won 6-5 in the shootout following an enthralling 0-0 draw after extra time at Wembley on Saturday.

Kostas Tsimikas scored the decisive penalty after Alisson Becker saved Mason Mount's effort, sparking wild celebrations from Liverpool boss Klopp and his players.

Having already beaten Chelsea on penalties in the League Cup final in February, Liverpool remains in contention to become the first English team to win all four major trophies in a single season.

"The small margins are again the difference and I cannot be more proud of my boys," said Klopp, who has emulated Alex Ferguson with Manchester United to become only the second manager to win the Champions League, Premier League, League Cup and FA Cup with the same English club.

The Reds face Real Madrid in the Champions League final in Paris on May 28 and still have an outside chance of catching Premier League leader Manchester City.

Liverpool is three points behind City with two games left for both teams.

City travels to West Ham on Sunday before Liverpool returns to action at Southampton on Tuesday, and Klopp wants his squad to drag a final effort from its weary limbs in what will be its 61st game of a marathon season.

"The quadruple, it's outstanding that we can talk about it, it's crazy," Klopp said.

"But we play Tuesday against Southampton and we have no clue who can play. I think we will have to make a few changes.

"It will be incredibly tough. The quadruple is on if you like, but also off as well. City is three points ahead and has a better goal difference. If City wins at West Ham, it's hard."

The quadruple chase might have been dented after Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk were unable to finish the final due to injuries.

Klopp doesn't expect them to be long-term absentees, but is unsure if they will face Southampton.

"I think they will both be fine, for Tuesday we will see. We will train on Sunday and if they are available I will take it," he said.

'Absolutely incredible'

Liverpool's first FA Cup triumph since 2006 was especially meaningful for Klopp, who saluted his players for matching Chelsea blow for blow after such a grueling campaign.

"My team knows exactly what I think of them. This is a trophy for the whole club. It's massive, it means the world," Klopp said.

"You saw with the performance what it means to the players. It's massive. It's game number 60 in a very intense season and pulling out a performance like this is absolutely incredible."

Klopp also revealed that Liverpool's penalty success was in part due to its work with a company which specializes in neuroscience.

"The penalties are a lottery but we did it again. We work with a neuro company, they got in contact a few years ago," Klopp said.

"They said we can train penalty shooting. I said that sounds interesting, come over. We met, we worked together. This trophy is for them, like the League Cup."

Klopp has described his players as "mentality monsters", and expanding on that notion, Reds goalkeeper Alisson said: "That is part of the 'mentality monsters' as well, going to extra time and keeping the high level, performing well.

"It gives us even more confidence to keep on going for the Premier League and also the Champions League final. This is a fantastic moment and now we just need to enjoy it."

There was only more Wembley woe for Chelsea. Weeks of ownership turmoil for the Blues are ending by becoming the first team to lose three consecutive FA Cup finals, having been beaten by Arsenal in 2020 and Leicester last year.

Just as it did in the League Cup final, Chelsea pushed Liverpool to the brink without delivering the knockout blow.

Blues boss Thomas Tuchel admitted it will be hard to lift his players for their final two games against Leicester and Watford this week as they try to clinch a third-place finish in the Premier League.

"We have goals to reach in the Premier League. It will be harder now but not impossible," he said.

Tuchel took heart from drawing four times against a team of Liverpool's quality.

But he knows closing the gap will be tough, given the uncertainty caused by Chelsea's change of ownership after the sanctioned Roman Abramovich sold up to Todd Boehly's consortium.

"We showed we can compete with them, but the difference is Liverpool can produce these kinds of performances more often and we struggle to do that," he said.

"This is where the gap is. The sanctions didn't make it easier to close it, players are leaving."

Agencies