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• Jurgen Klopp: Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota give Liverpool ‘a chance’

  Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp believes the return of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diogo Jota gives their title hopes a much-needed boost.

  Defeat to Crystal Palace last weekend saw Klopp’s side drop to third as Manchester City moved into a two-point lead at the top of the table.

  But with results faltering, the performance by Alexander-Arnold in the Europa League win over Atalanta, particularly in the first half, has offered renewed hope.

  The defender was making his first start since mid-February after a knee injury and, while Jota has yet to have the same impact in three relatively short substitute appearances after a similar two-month lay-off, the clinical nature of his game could offset some of the deficiencies currently being experienced by his fellow forwards.

  “We need Trent Alexander-Arnold, of course, but we need him in a really good shape and form and that’s what he has to get up to,” said Klopp ahead of the trip to Fulham.

  “It’s not about him and it’s not his fault if he wouldn’t be, it’s just the situation. So how quick can we get him rolling if you want – the same for Diogo.

  “We have to find a way to help the boys in the best way, to bring them as quick as possible into their best form or shape and from there we have to go.

  “Without them we wouldn’t have a chance. With them we have a chance, with them in a really good football moment the chance gets bigger and bigger.”

  Klopp remains positive about their chances despite recent failures and feels six wins could see them snatch the title from the grasp of their rivals.

  Although a Europa League exit on aggregate was disappointing there were positives to take from the game.

  Alexander-Arnold’s display, drifting infield to dictate play and even popping up in the centre-forward’s position on occasions in Bergamo, was one and a first clean sheet in 10 matches was another.

  With struggles up front continuing – Liverpool have scored only two goals in the opening 15 minutes in a league game this season – a more solid backline offers a better platform and that is why Klopp is optimistic.

  “I don’t have a lot of qualities but I am always completely honest. If I don’t feel great the players feel it pretty quickly,” he said.

  “I cannot really deny or just keep it under the carpet so that means after the game against Palace people ask ‘What do you tell the team now?’.

  “But here we are a few days later and I feel absolutely great, I see the good in the situation where we are. It is fantastic.

  “The boys know that I don’t tell them things which I don’t believe in and I am 100 percent sure we can really win all of the games we will have to from now on.

  “What should influence us more: the last game, the last week or is it the chance in front of us?

  “I am fully (of the opinion) that there is a next chance for us and we can turn things absolutely around in all departments. We can make it still an outstanding season.

  “It will be a good season but of course how you look at it is in the end is massively influenced by the last part of it.”

• Mauricio Pochettino not expecting a vulnerable Man City in FA Cup semi-final

  Mauricio Pochettino warned his Chelsea players not to expect to come up against a vulnerable Manchester City side when the teams meet in Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final.

  City go into the game off the back of playing extra time against Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday night before eventually being knocked out on penalties, leaving less than 72 hours recovery time ahead of stepping out at Wembley.

  Pep Guardiola has had to deal with fatigue amongst his ranks in recent weeks, with midfielder Rodri admitting to needing a rest earlier this month. He was subsequently left out of the team for last weekend’s win over Luton at the Etihad Stadium but returned to the starting XI for the defeat to Real.

  They are still in contention to retain two of the three trophies they won last season, holding a two-point lead over Arsenal and Liverpool in the Premier League title race in addition to Saturday’s meeting with Pochettino’s side as they seek a third FA Cup triumph in six seasons.

  Chelsea will return to the scene of their Carabao Cup final loss to Liverpool in February, after which they were heavily criticised for failing to overcome a Reds team decimated by injury.

  Jurgen Klopp’s side triumphed in extra time despite finishing the game with four highly inexperienced academy graduates aged 21 or under on the pitch.

  And Pochettino insisted there will be no easy ride for his players as City lick their European wounds.

  “The good example is Liverpool,” he said. “People were talking about too many injured players, how many young kids they had playing. Look what happened after.

  “From our point of view, we are going to compete against Manchester City. If you ask me about their situation, I can give my opinion, but we are not talking about that. We are going to compete against them.

  “Today we were preparing, doing meetings, about the Manchester City that played against Real Madrid, that played against us in the Premier League.

  “We are not talking about playing one (City line-up) or playing another. For me, the strength of Manchester City is that they keep the same idea and the same philosophy.

  “In the last five, six, seven years, even with different players, they play in the same way, they have the structure to dominate and to create chances and to win games and to win trophies.

  “I understand the situation is tough for them after playing 120 minutes in the Champions League. Emotionally, you expend a big energy. It’s about how they recover now.

  “They are going be competitive and they have an amazing staff that look after the players. They’re going to put 11 players that will play with full energy to try and win the game.”

  Pochettino will have Enzo Fernandez available for selection after he missed Monday’s 6-0 demolition of Everton.

  The manager said the World Cup winner’s fitness will be carefully managed following reports this week in Argentina that he requires a hernia operation.

  “We are not looking for heroes,” said Pochettino.

• Pep Guardiola says Cole Palmer is one of the players of the season

  Pep Guardiola admits Chelsea’s former Manchester City starlet Cole Palmer has been one of the players of the season.

  The City manager has also revealed the 21-year-old England midfielder had been trying to leave the Etihad Stadium for two years prior to his £42.5million switch to Stamford Bridge last summer.

  Palmer, who was considered one of City’s brightest Academy products, has been Chelsea’s most influential performer since he moved south in search of more first-team opportunities.

  Palmer has scored 25 goals this season, 11 of which have come in his last six appearances.

  He heads into Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final showdown with former club City at Wembley fresh from a four-goal salvo against Everton on Monday.

  Guardiola said: “Cole has been the decisive player, maybe of the season, in many aspects.

  “He’s an exceptional player. We knew that when he was here.

  “We know how he’s proving (himself), but he has had a lot of minutes. I said many times, I didn’t give him the minutes when maybe he deserved it. He wanted the minutes he now has at Chelsea.

  “I understand completely. I’m happy for him because he’s a lovely guy, a shy guy. He has an incredible potential, otherwise he would not have been here.

  “He’s playing good. He’s an incredible threat. He’s playing fantastically.”

  Palmer was a member of the City squad that won the treble last season and he began the current campaign strongly with goals for Guardiola’s side in the Community Shield and European Super Cup.

  Yet despite attempts to persuade the Wythenshawe-born player to stay with his hometown club, his mind to move on before the end of the summer transfer window had long been made up.

  Guardiola said: “So what can I say? The decision has been made for many reasons. He was asking for two seasons to leave.

  “I said, ‘No, stay’. At the end, (he said), ‘No, I want to leave’. What can we do? I said in pre-season, ‘Stay because Riyad (Mahrez) has gone’. He said, ‘No, I want to leave’.

  “After two seasons, what can you say? So go there. Playing at that level is exceptional. Everybody knows it.”

  City’s hopes of winning a second successive treble were dashed on Wednesday as they suffered an agonising penalty shoot-out defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter-finals.

  Their focus is now on defending the domestic double, a feat no side has previously achieved, but Guardiola prefers not to view the targets in those terms.

  Guardiola said: “We were close again (to the treble) but it didn’t happen.

  “So my advice about trebles or doubles or these things is, why are we not focused on Chelsea? It’s enough of a target to think about.

  “When you have one or two games left to the end of the Premier League and you are already in the FA Cup final, I can answer you perfectly.

  “We’ve felt, two times, how strong Chelsea are. They are really, really difficult.

  “So, win that game and see what happens the next three, four, five games in the Premier League and after we will see.”