Liverpool’s dreams of clinching a historic quadruple in Jurgen Klopp’s final season as manager were ended on Sunday, as they were edged out of the FA Cup quarter-finals in a thrilling 4-3 encounter against Manchester United at Old Trafford.
However, amid the disappointment, midfielder Harvey Elliott, who scored the Reds’ third goal in extra time, has voiced optimism regarding the team’s prospects in the remaining competitions as a result of being dumped out of the competition.
The 20-year-old suggested that the reduction in fixtures following their FA Cup exit could serve as a boost for Liverpool’s pursuit of the Premier League title and Europa League glory.
“Now we can focus on other things,” Elliott remarked, as quoted in The Mirror. “It frees up a few weeks for us. Not as many games anymore, so the lads can be fresh and we can recover properly and focus on the rest of the season.”
Liverpool had been harboring hopes of clinching a quadruple before their FA Cup defeat, but with already 46 games under their belt and at least 12 more on the horizon, including the Europa League clash with Atalanta, fatigue was becoming a concern.
Elliott, however, remains undeterred by the setback, emphasising the team’s confidence and resilience. “Our confidence is always there,” he said. “It isn’t going to affect us at all.”
He continued, highlighting the upcoming international break as an opportunity for rejuvenation: “We’re going to be annoyed that we didn’t win but we’re going away with internationals now, so we can forget about it and come back after the break fresh again ready to crack down and fight for the rest of the season.”
Despite the loss, Elliott stressed the team’s unity and determination to push forward. “Confidence-wise it’s not going to do anything to us because we had the game in our hands, had many chances but just didn’t put them away,” he said.
“It’s always going to be there and we just need to keep going as a team.”
Liverpool’s defeat against Manchester United marked only their third domestic loss of the season.
As they look ahead to their next fixture against Brighton at Anfield on 31 March, the revised fixture list looks a little less daunting now, offering the team a chance to regroup and refocus for the challenges ahead, including the looming Merseyside derby at Goodison Park.
