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Liverpool news: Jurgen Klopp sends defiant Eden Hazard message ahead of Chelsea re-match
LIVERPOOL boss Jurgen Klopp insists he isn’t concerning himself with figuring out how to stop Eden Hazard after the Chelsea star’s wonder-strike sent them out of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday night.
Klopp: We couldn’t strike back after Eden Hazard’s goal
Liverpool held a slender 1-0 lead over Chelsea courtesy of an overhead kick from Daniel Sturridge.
They could and probably should have been further in front, only for Liverpool’s forwards to be misfiring.
Chelsea found an equaliser when a dubious foul was given against Naby Keita on Victor Moses, with Emerson poking in from the resulting free-kick.
But the moment of the match belonged to Hazard who drifted his way past a number of challenges before firing in a sensational effort past Simon Mignolet.
His effort led to Sky Sports presenter and Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher calling him the “best player in the Premier League”.
Liverpool have a chance to enact revenge immediately when they travel to Stamford Bridge tomorrow.
Hazard will likely start the game while Klopp will also bring back his own first-team regulars.
But the Liverpool boss isn’t focussing all his efforts on trying to find a way to stifle the Belgium international.
“Chelsea will make changes, Hazard will ask us question probably over 95 minutes. Jorginho and others will come in,” Klopp said.
“I know exactly how good he [Hazard] is.
“He’s a special player and he enjoys these one vs one situations.
“I didn’t need that game to find out about that.
“If we had one 100% challenge out of the four or five we had, he wouldn't have been able to do what he did.
“Stop passes to him? Good idea? Being close? Good idea, but he likes players being close sometimes.
“We all know we could have stopped that goal but he used that situation. No player is not defendable.
“We have to close the right spaces.”