Jurgen Klopp has explained his decision behind naming an unchanged midfield as part of his Liverpool starting line-up against Chelsea.
Stefan Bajcetic was handed his first Premier League start as Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita made successive starts. It was the same three that featured during the Reds' 1-0 win over Wolves in midweek.
Liverpool were looking to end their losing start to the calendar year after they followed up their disappointing performance against Brentford with a dismal defeat away at Brighton & Hove Albion.
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They did return to winning ways in the FA Cup as Harvey Elliott's strike was the difference in midweek to book their place in the fourth round. From that side, three changes were made from the win at Molineux as Alisson Becker, Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah all returned to the starting line-up.
Fabio Carvalho, Kostas Tsimikas and Caoimhin Kelleher dropped to the bench as Trent Alexander-Arnold failed to oust James Milner at full-back. Darwin Nunez was fit enough for the bench.
"Trent came back to train yesterday, Darwin had one, two-and-a-half days in training but midfield is always midfield," Klopp said speaking to BT Sport prior to kick-off.
"If you're too open in general in midfield nobody can close the gaps. Usually, we were not compact enough and that starts with the front three, if the front three are not together it makes life incredibly difficult.
"In this game, we were really compact, both wingers were there, Cody dropped deep in kind of a 'Bobby Firmino manner'.
"All of a sudden, Naby Keita, Thiago - who are not famous for being sprinters - had challenges in areas they are good at, defensively and offensively, connected, we can wins balls, they are outstanding in small spaces we played much better than in the last few matches.
"In the last few matches, if we win balls and give it away in the next moment we cannot be compact, we cannot push up in that moment then the spaces are really big. Football is not complicated but to bring 11 players to do the same thing is now not the easiest thing in the world, especially when you're not full of confidence.
"That's why the match against Wolves was super important because it is the blueprint. Everybody who plays now, knows finally, if you don't defend you cannot play.
"I liked everything, no it was not a big call, he deserves that. He would've played before but he was injured for two games," the German added on handing Stefan Bajcetic his first Premier League start.
"He's made massive steps, he's a smart kid, really good footballer, imagine if I wouldn't have played him today. What do you have to do as a footballer if you play outstanding and the manager says 'that was good my friend, but back in the cupboard or whatever'.
"It was clear, if we can we will play with this midfield again. He was a part of that midfield, a very decisive part, that's why we play again with them."
The German manager is in the dugout for his 1,000th match as a professional manager and the visit of the Londoners is arguably one of the most important in his reign as Reds boss.
Liverpool sit ninth in the Premier League knowing that a win could see them jump as high as sixth in their bid for Champions League football. However, a win would take them to within seven points off the top four with Newcastle United currently occupying the all-important fourth place.
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