Liverpool and Wolverhampton Wanderers meet in the FA Cup this evening for the third time in six years, with both teams expected to rotate heavily.
Jurgen Klopp’s poor record in the competition was corrected last season when Liverpool lifted the trophy after beating Chelsea on penalties in the final. Liverpool could do with a confidence-boosting win after their defensive frailties were badly exposed at Brentford on Monday, when they also lost Virgil van Dijk to a hamstring injury. Liverpool now find themselves seven points behind Manchester United and the Champions League places.
Liverpool supporters at Anfield tonight will be excited to see new signing Cody Gakpo in action for the first time, with Klopp full of praise for the Dutch forward pre-match
“He’s a good footballer, good in small spaces, likes to shoot from distance, good finisher and dribbler,” Klopp said.
“Everybody who wants to know about him could know as there are a lot of videos out there about him. It is nice to see in real life, in front of you.
“He looks really promising and fit. The sessions are intense for him because they’re different. I’m very positive about him. Coming from a new league is always difficult, but we expect a positive impact.”
Julen Lopetegui has made a positive impression at Wolves, who have taken four points from trips to Everton and Aston Villa and pushed Manchester United hard in a narrow 1-0 defeat. Wolves remain 19th, although only one point from safety, and picking up Premier League points is a bigger priority than a cup run. Lopetegui is also unhappy that Liverpool have enjoyed an extra two days to prepare.
“They have had five days, I prefer not to repeat it. We have to be ready. Despite the situation we have to prepare for the Cup in the best way we can,” he said.
Full team news on the way shortly.
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