Sunday’s briefing: Liverpool and Chelsea slip up and Wembley offers first cup

Liverpool continue to underwhelm in the Premier League as they missed out on the chance to break back into the top four following a 2-1 loss at Brighton.

Chelsea, too, are showing signs of unravelling under Liam Rosenior after losing heavily 3-0 at Everton, while Mikel Arteta and Pep Guardiola look ahead to Sunday’s Carabao Cup final.

Slot bemoans injuries and fixture pile-up

Liverpool boss Arne Slot blamed key injury absentees and a swift turnaround from Champions League commitments to explain a damaging 2-1 defeat at Brighton.

Danny Welbeck’s double inflicted Liverpool’s 10th loss of a dismal title defence, with Slot without goalkeeper Alisson Becker, forward Mohamed Salah and club-record signing Alexander Isak at the Amex Stadium, while top scorer Hugo Ekitike limped off inside eight minutes.

Liverpool arrived in Sussex for a lunchtime kick-off having reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League on Wednesday evening by completing a 4-1 aggregate win over Galatasaray at Anfield.

“Brighton away, that’s a difficult game for any team, especially if you miss out on a few very influential players,” said Slot. “This loss hurts a lot and it should hurt us a lot.

“But the main problem we are in this position (is) because we dropped points at Wolves in the last minute with a deflected shot (and then) a week ago (against Tottenham) – not a week ago, because we had to play on Sunday, not on Saturday, and then on Wednesday and Saturday, not as all the other Champions
League teams.”

Rosenior down in the dumps after Everton loss

Chelsea head coach Liam Rosenior admitted he was hurt by another defeat after labelling the 3-0 loss at Everton as “the most disappointing evening so far”.

The Blues have lost four matches in 10 days, which included an 8-2 aggregate humbling to Champions League holders Paris St Germain, to leave Rosenior clutching at small positives after Manchester United and Liverpool both dropped points in the race to finish in the top four.

“My job, it hurts,” Rosenior said. “Regardless of your position, it hurts to lose games of football. Yeah, the most disappointing evening so far.

“It turned into a really difficult evening where the result and performance was nowhere near what we expected or wanted.”

Guardiola has a pep in his step

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City are “close” to getting back to their best despite their comprehensive Champions League defeat by Real Madrid.

City’s hopes of repeating their 2023 European success were ended this week as the Spanish giants completed a 5-1 aggregate success in the last 16.

They have a chance to win the first major trophy of the season on Sunday as they face Arsenal in the Carabao Cup final, and they have not given up hope of catching the Gunners in the title race.

“I have the feeling that in many things it is just underneath, it will flourish,” said Guardiola, whose side are also through to the FA Cup quarter-finals. “I have the feeling that it is close.

“In other things we need a little bit more time to realise, and for the players to realise what we need to be a strong team in many departments, but in most of the things we are close.”

Arteta: Difficult to accept lack of silverware

Mikel Arteta admitted Arsenal’s trophy drought has been “difficult to accept” as he prepares to end six years of hurt in Sunday’s Carabao Cup final against Manchester City.

Arteta won the FA Cup in his opening season as Arsenal manager, but his side have fallen short since, and Sunday’s encounter will be their first final since their 2020 triumph – 2,059 days ago.

“Obviously the willingness to win has always been there, and that doesn’t change if I win one, two, three or five (trophies),” said Arteta.

“But, yes, it has been difficult to accept because I want to win every competition that I’m involved in.”

What’s on today

As well as the mouthwatering Carabao Cup final between the top two teams in the Premier League, Newcastle and Sunderland lock horns in the Tyne-Wear derby.

Tottenham welcome Nottingham Forest in a crunch clash towards the bottom of the table, while fellow strugglers West Ham visit Champions League-chasing Aston Villa.

Celtic travel to Dundee United in the Scottish Premiership, while in Spain, it is the Madrid derby as Real take on Atletico at the Bernabeu, and Barcelona face Rayo Vallecano.