Jurgen Klopp made just three substitutions from the side that won in midweek and explained why Trent Alexander-Arnold comes off the bench against Chelsea.
In Tuesday’s FA Cup match, Klopp made eight substitutions and reaped the rewards as the energy and pressure returned.
It is noteworthy that Trent Alexander-Arnold was not in the team of the game day, and James Milner replaced him in his absence.
The 37-year-old retains his place in the match against Chelsea with Alexander-Arnold on the bench due to a minor muscle injury that allowed him to train only on Friday.
“Trent only trained for the first time yesterday,” Klopp told BT Sport before the start of the match. For the same reason, Darwin Nunez, sitting next to number 66, “trained for only 1.5 days.”
The pair make up a strong bench, but it was the XI that attracted attention when Klopp rewarded those who secured the victory over Wolves.
And Klopp admired Stefan Baisetic, discussing his choice in midfield, with the youngster who started in the Premier League for the first time, with Thiago and Naby Keita next to him.
“I liked everything, everything, he deserves it. He has made huge strides with us. Imagine if I hadn’t played with him today,” Klopp said of the 18—year-old.
“What should a footballer do to play? That was clear. If we could start from that midfield again, we would.”
Klopp’s XI was supported by fans who were delighted to see the players rewarded for their midweek performance:
I like it. I like it a lot actually.
— Ben Kelly (@bkelly776) January 21, 2023
Suddenly you get to keep your place if you play well
I like it
— SimonBrundish (@SimonBrundish) January 21, 2023
Big decision. Rewarding the group for a battling display at Wolves. Only Salah and Alisson of regular starters return Midfield 3 in particular deserved to retain their places https://t.co/cCGPFAw1jT
— keith costigan (@KeithCostigan) January 21, 2023
In these red ones.
