#LukakuOut

Mwalimu-G

Elder Lister
'It is a red card'
FT: Chelsea 2-2 Liverpool

Chelsea
Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel, speaking to Sky Sports: "Brilliant match of football, everybody not in the stadium missed something - energy, some mistakes. We started excellent and were 1-0 down out of nothing because we did two or three big mistakes, then we concede a second one which makes the task very hard.
"The team did not give in and Mateo Kovacic's goal brought the belief back into the stadium. There was almost the perfect comeback in the first half with a third goal on the transition."
On Sadio Mane's potential red card: "If you remember the first game with the same referee and how quick it was to give a red card to us, I am not a friend of early red cards. I hate to say it because I love Mane and he is a nice guy and top player, but it is a red card. The elbow is in the face - it doesn't matter if you do this after 20 seconds or 20 minutes. We come from a game against Brighton where we miss VAR calls in the box and suddenly VAR is checking a goal against Kovacic.
"It would be nice to also check from outside to have substitutes and bring more energy, but at the moment it's like putting [Cesar Azpilicueta] in a new position, and Christian Pulisic at wing-back because of an injury to Trevoh Chalobah. I get the feeling we start with a back three and never end with the same back three.
"Nice goals, no? The first one was absolutely brilliant but also the second was difficult. To coach was high level and it was on the edge, it could have gone either way. A good Sunday afternoon and new year."
On Romleu Lukaku: "He is our player, there is always a way back, we will clear this behind closed doors and once we have made a decision and Romelu knows, you will maybe know also. It is not to be discussed now."

'We make it a final'
FT: Chelsea 2-2 Liverpool

Liverpool
Liverpool assistant coach Pep Lijnders, speaking to Match of the Day: "Never boring with us I think and I just want to pay the team a big compliment, because we could make a lot of excuses, our manager was not present today or yesterday, but the team played really well. We attacked the match day really well. We would have loved to see more control, but for the fans, public at home, it was an entertaining game.
"It is a long season, we don't approach the game like this, we make it a final and this is how we collect all the points since we have been here. We analyse, this is how we evolve, develop how we became the team we are now, the next game comes quickly.
"It was clear what we needed to improve tactically, that's what we gave the boys at half-time, we had good chances, good saves, we could have even won. In these games you never know."
On Jurgen Klopp: "I spoke with him at half-time quickly, he is our leader, our motivator, our boss and it is good - he is the type of guy who gives a lot of responsibility, a lot of freedom."
On Mo Salah and Sadio Mane: "I spoke with all the boys in the locker room, wished them all the best, they have earned this right as one of the better players in the Afcon, it is an incredible tournament and they should be able to fight for each prize."
 
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