ROBERTSON: We have two cup finals now.. Madrid in Kiev & Brighton at home
ANDY ROBERTSON says Liverpool know they have two cup finals – not one – coming up in the next two games.
The Reds full-back has promised fans he and his team-mates are fully aware of just how important the game against Brighton is on Sunday, as Jurgen Klopp’s men look to secure a top-four finish. Victory in that showdown will guarantee a place in next season’s Champions League no matter what their other two rivals, Tottenham and Chelsea, do in their remaining matches. And Robertson is adamant not one thought will be on the Champions League Final two weeks later, as they look to finish the job Klopp (right) set as his big target at the start of the campaign. Some critics have suggested the Reds had lost focus when they were beaten on Sunday 1-0 at Chelsea, but the defender said: “We can’t think about Kiev now. We know the media and the fans will be focused on that but for us it’s all about Brighton.
“Effectively, we have two cup finals now.
“We knew how big a game it was against Chelsea, we didn’t struggle to get ourselves up for it.
“We knew we could get the top four done before the final weekend, and, believe me, that was a big incentive but we fell just short.
“We have one more game and we need a big push. We need everyone behind us for that.
“We know that if we win against Brighton we will be in the top four, regardless of how the other results go.”
Robertson admits that results in the Premier League have slipped alarmingly in recent weeks, as Liverpool pursued their Champions League dream.
But he believes the visit of Brighton – who are behind only Stoke as the team with the worst away record in the top flight – will focus minds and hearts, as the Anfield club look to deliver back-toback qualification to the Champions League for the first time in eight years. The 24-year-old added: “Recent results in the league have been poor and we’ve got to put that behind us now and get ready for Brighton.
“It’s going to be a massive game. We need to secure the top four. That’s been our aim since the start of the season. All our work this week will be going towards that.
“Everyone is fighting for places and all the lads are training hard. It’s a competitive squad.
“We need to tick off our main objective at the start of the season. We can do that by beating Brighton.”
Robertson also rejected the theory that Liverpool are running out of gas after a tough Champions League campaign.
He said: “I don’t think we fell short physically at Chelsea. I wouldn’t say Chelsea outran us – though of course they had a full week to prepare for the game.
“But now we’ve got a full week building up to Brighton which we haven’t had for a while. That can only be a benefit ahead of a massive game. We will be ready to go. We want to get those three points.”