Liverpool defender Daniel Agger has revealed he is still reeling from his FA Cup final disappointment, but has targeted wins in both of the club's remaining Barclays Premier League games, starting with their Wembley opponents Chelsea. The Blues' beat Liverpool 2-1 on the way to their seventh FA Cup triumph and Agger admitted he was still coming to terms with the fact he travelled back to the north west on Saturday evening with a losers' medal.
"There's not much more to say right now. We are all just so disappointed," he told the club's official website. "We have got two games left in the season and we have got to try and win them. That is how we will start to move forward. It is difficult right now to think about anything else. "When you get into an FA Cup final, you really want to win it. Nobody ever remembers the runners-up. Nobody likes to be a loser." Despite Liverpool's failure to add to their Carling Cup success earlier in the campaign, the Denmark international believes the club is showing signs of progression. "Can we challenge the top teams next season? Yes, of course. We have moved forward a lot this season but right now the only feelings are of disappointment," he added. A late goal from former Chelsea defender Glen Johnson secured a 2-1 win for Liverpool at Stamford Bridge back in November and another victory would condemn the west London side to a sixth-placed finish in the league. Reds' boss Kenny Dalglish had never tasted defeat against Chelsea prior to the cup final, but he does not underestimate a team that has reached the Champions League final under the guidance of interim manager Roberto Di Matteo.
He said: "They got two fantastic results in the Champions League semi-final. They know how to play. They have got experience. "We might have been a wee bit naive (in the final). They are very experienced - Whatever way they want to play, it is up to us to play against it." Juan Mata has insisted there is no chance of him suffering burnout ahead of what could be more overtime for the Chelsea winger. Mata looked set to be handed a well-earned day off at Anfield following Saturday's FA Cup final triumph, with most expecting the Blues' top-four bid to have ended on Sunday afternoon. But Newcastle's defeat to Manchester City and Tottenham's draw at Aston Villa - coupled with Arsenal's failure to beat Norwich the previous day - kept alive sixth-placed Chelsea's slim hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League via the Premier League. They must beat Liverpool for the second time in four days to stand any chance of overhauling two of the three teams directly above them, leaving caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo with a real selection dilemma. The Italian admitted after Saturday's Wembley win that his line-up would depend on the outcome of Sunday's games, something which suggested that were a top-four finish mathematically impossible, he would make wholesale changes, with the May 19 Champions League final in mind. But he would have been pondering whether to field his strongest possible side, one that would surely contain Mata, who is the only outfield player to have featured in all 18 of his matches at the helm. After winning the FA Cup in his maiden season in English football on Saturday, exhaustion was the furthest thing from Mata's mind. "I have plenty of energy left," said the Spain star. "It is a long season and my first in England, but the benefits of winning easily outweigh the fatigue."
Liverpool V Chelsea - view commentary, squad, and statictics of the game live.
Source: PA
