Liverpool will head to the south coast to meet Brighton and Hove Albion in their FA Cup fourth-round clash tomorrow and Jurgen Klopp will be hoping his team can leave their Premier League form in Merseyside.
The Reds have not won any of their last three league fixtures and are ninth in the table, as well as playing their cup opponents already this month at the Amex Stadium where they lost 3-0.
Indeed, it has not been the dominant first half of a season that the high-flying Liverpool squad are used to, however, they still have ample opportunity to right their wrongs and can start that on Sunday by progressing to the next round of the prestigious domestic competition.
There is no doubt that Klopp will make tweaks to his team where he can to make sure that he is exercising the right rotation to not only avoid burnout and further injuries but also to make sure some fresh perspectives get their opportunity to show him their strengths.
One player who will be hoping he can retain his starting spot in the team is midfielder Stefan Bajcetic, with the 18-year-old having a successful stint since becoming a more consistent feature this season and this week was rewarded with a new contract for his efforts.
The talented youngster – who was dubbed “exceptional” by Klopp – has been a breakout ace in the team and has clearly proven his worth by deservedly earning an extension on his stay at Anfield until 2027, displaying the club’s clear intent to make the youngster a stronger presence in the senior squad.
Over four Premier League appearances, Bajcetic has scored one goal and successfully completed 67% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 10.8 accurate passes, 0.8 interceptions and two duels won per game, despite only averaging 31 minutes per performance.
The Spaniard has made 10 appearances in total this season across all competitions – including three in the Champions League – and even scored his debut Premier League goal against Aston Villa on Boxing Day.
With that being said, it is clear that Bajcetic has had no trouble being thrown in the deep end by his manager and as a result, could quite easily terrify Brighton in the FA Cup meeting tomorrow if Klopp unleashes him in the starting lineup.
