They may not have got the win their title-challenge desperately craved, but according to Liverpool’s Emre Can their draw against Chelsea in midweek proved to everyone that they are still a strong side.

Jurgen Klopp’s side went into the game on the back of three consecutive defeats and also in danger of a third successive home defeat.

But Simon Mignolet’s penalty save from Diego Costa salvaged a point for the Reds – after he had earlier been caught napping by David Luiz’ pinpoint free-kick – to keep Liverpool in the top four and prevented the Blues moving 12 points clear of them at the top of the table.

Can and his colleagues visit a resurgent Hull City on Saturday, and the German claims the team is now in confident mood for the second half of the season.

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“It was a very good game for the atmosphere – it was a good game for all of us,” the 23-year-old said.

“I think everybody saw in that game that we’re still a strong side and we have to keep it up.

“Of course, everybody knows that it was a very tough period for all of us – the fans, the team, the manager.

“But now, we are positive for the future, and I think it was a very good sign, the Chelsea game.

“Now we have to make the next step and win the next game against Hull City, hopefully.”

Midfielder Cesc Fabregas believes his on-field relationship with Chelsea colleague Diego Costa has been crucial for the Blues so far this season.

Since Fabregas arrived in West London, the Spaniard has clicked instantly with his international team-mate, providing an avalanche of assists for Chelsea’s top scorer.

When Costa runs into space, Fabregas always seems to find the striker and the midfielder admits it’s a delight to play alongside Costa.

“Obviously you know Diego has been a very important player for Chelsea and for Atletico Madrid in the last five, six years and he’s been one of the top strikers in the world,” said Fabregas.

“I have a fantastic connection with him, not just only on the pitch but also off the pitch.

“I consider him my friend, he’s a great guy. Also, on the pitch I like to play with winners and he’s definitely one of them.

“Of course, if he is a guy that you understand so well that when you pass him the ball he scores a high percentage of your passes, then fantastic.

“We played against each other in Spain but we didn’t really know each other and I remember on our debuts actually we had our first connection and we scored a goal.”

Middlesbrough boss Aitor Karanka expects new signing Adlene Guedioura to have a major impact as the club looks to maintain its Premier League status.

The midfielder, 31, agreed to leave Watford on transfer deadline day and signed a two-and-a-half year deal with the Teesside club.

And after a 1-1 draw with West Brom in midweek, Karanka hopes to have Guedioura involved with the squad immediately, starting with Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.

“It’s an important signing, and he wants to be with us,” he said. “I know from our games against him the experience and quality he can give.

“He’s played, including in the African Cup of Nations as well as the Premier League, so I think he can I think he can be involved this weekend.”

Middlesbrough were 2-0 down at half-time against Spurs last time the two sides met in the Premier League before Ben Gibson pulled one back.

(Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

And although Karanka’s men were unable to force an equaliser the manager wants his players to take heart from their second-half display into this weekend’s match.

“It’s a tough game, the first half at home against Spurs was once of our worst performances,” he added.

“But then the second half we showed we can compete against them. We have to go there with that attitude, and be at 100 per cent for 95 minutes.”

Ben Foster has been hugely impressed by James Morrison’s recent form for West Brom, with the midfielder scoring the Baggies’ only goal in a 1-1 draw with Middlesbrough in midweek.

Morrison had a lot of history at the Riverside Stadium, having come through the academy on Teesside and he clearly enjoyed his return.

Scoring after just six minutes, Morrison went onto have a brilliant game, although it wasn’t enough for all three points with Boro hitting back with a penalty.

But regardless of the result, Foster was adamant that Morrison was the star man for the Baggies, who are now eighth in the Premier League after a strong recent run of form.

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Foster said: “Mozza (Morrison) has been brilliant for us.

“He’s come back into the team in the last couple of months and been absolutely fantastic.

“He deserved his goal and you could see what it meant by the reaction of the lads when they mobbed him.”

Saido Berahino is itching to take to the field and play a role in downing former club West Brom this Saturday after making his debut for new side Stoke City on Wednesday night.

The former England Under-21 international stepped of the bench for the last 25 minutes of their 1-1 draw with Everton and nearly marked the occasion with a late goal before Seamus Coleman cleared off the line.

It did however mark the start of what would apparently represent a fresh start for the 23-year-old after a difficult last few years at the Hawthorns.

(Photo by James Baylis – AMA/Getty Images)

Berahino was the subject of four bids from Tottenham in the summer of 2015 before the player himself tried to engineer a move away and declared he would never play for the club again.

He did pull on the Baggies shirt again although there remained questions over his fitness levels.

But with Stoke City manager Tony Pulis handing him a lifeline, Berahino is determined to repay that faith, continuing against his former club this weekend.

“To be fair, I can’t wait for the game because the boys have been fantastic in the last two games against Manchester United and Everton, so we can go there full of confidence,” he said.

“Of course it will be strange for me going back there again, but I won’t allow anything to distract me from my job which is to help Stoke City try and win the game.

“I will hopefully be able to get some more playing time under my belt, which is what I need now to build up my fitness levels.

“The manager is really looking after me here and I am sure that it won’t be too long until I am in a position to hopefully start games.”

Gabriel Jesus opened his Manchester City account on Wednesday and the winger admits he has surprised himself with how quickly he has adapted to life in the Premier League.

The 19-year-old winger scored his first goal for the club against West Ham in mid-week as Pep Guardiola’s side cruised to a 4-0 win.

The £27 million pound man was fed by Raheem Sterling for his strike and the attacking trio along with Leroy Sane were unstoppable all night.

And the Brazilian international admits he is loving life at his new club.

“I’m very happy for the goal, very happy for the performance and especially for the win,” the winger said.

“This is the spirit I think we have to have and if we keep that spirit we will be able to achieve our goals. It wasn’t an easy Premier League game and we are all very happy.

(Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

“The reception from the club has been great, my team-mates are helping a lot and the process of adaptation is going great.

“I honestly thought it would be more difficult but thanks to my family, my friends and my team-mates it’s going really well.

“I always said I came here to help but I have also been helped. We understand each other very well, Sterling, Leroy and the rest of my team-mates.

“We get along very well on the pitch and that is making my game easier.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic insists a Champions League spot is still Manchester United’s for the taking despite seeing out their third consecutive league draw on Wednesday night.

The Red Devils could only manage to take a point from their tie with Hull City, at Old Trafford, after failing to capitalise on a multitude of chances falling at the feet of Juan Mata and Paul Pogba.

It meant United missed out on a chance to climb up the table after the top four all dropped points the previous night, leaving Jose Mourinho’s side languishing in sixth, four points off the Champions League places.

But with winnable ties coming up against Leicester City and Watford, Ibrahimovic is confident his side can soon turn their fortunes around.

(Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

“We have many more games left to go and we will do our best, obviously, to try to get in the position where the future looks good for the club, and that is by playing in the Champions League,” he said.

“If you don’t score, then you don’t win. I think we had some chances to score, but we didn’t score, so we kept creating and creating.

“We missed that last third of our field and we were not doing it like we know how to do and are able to do.

“I haven’t been here before so I can only talk about the seven months I have been here. In some games we didn’t have luck, in some games we struggled, in some games we didn’t do good enough and that is part of football.

“We are not perfect, but we are trying, we are working hard and we want to win.”

Captain John O’Shea is calling on his Sunderland side to repeat the efforts of their invaluable draw with Tottenham Hotspur in their bid to remain in the Premier League.

Spurs had been in free-flowing form prior to their trip to the Stadium of Light, scoring at least twice in their previous seven league games prior to the North East stalemate.

Yet, more importantly for the Black Cats came a second point in six top-flight matches following another impressive draw against Liverpool, that began 2017.

(Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)

But with five points separating David Moyes’ side from safety and just 15 games remaining, defender O’Shea knows they can’t pat themselves on the back just yet ahead of the proverbial six-pointer away at Crystal Palace, on Saturday.

“That [effort against Tottenham] is going to be the minimum needed going forward,” he said.

“We’ll need that resilience and togetherness with the game we have coming up, and hopefully we can create more chances.

“Palace had a good win on Tuesday night and that will have given them a bit of confidence, but we had a good result as well against Spurs.

“We know it’ll be a tough challenge but it’s one we’re up for, and we’re looking forward to it.”

Few predicted Hull City would even be in contention ahead of their trip to Old Trafford, but manager Marco Silva believes their stalemate with Manchester United can be the perfect boost in confidence.

The Tigers executed an almost-perfect gameplan to escape with a 0-0 draw against Jose Mourinho’s side on Wednesday, less than a month after going down 2-0 to the same opposition in the EFL Cup.

More significantly, it gave Hull a valuable point in their bid to avoid relegation, a surprise result against a side who have not lost in the Premier League since October.

And boss Silva was left full of admiration for his side’s character, moving within four points of safety in the process.

“It is a performance of which I am proud,” said Silva.

“It was a very good performance. We played very well as a team and the players showed for me, and for our supporters, big character and very good organisation in big moments in the game.

(OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)

“In some moments we also showed good quality and had two very good chances to score in the second half. But I think the result is one we deserved.

“I was pleased with the way we defended. Of course, in the second half Manchester United made us have to defend more in our box – it is not something I wanted but we showed the organisation to do it.

“I am happy with the attitude and the spirit that we showed.

“We won only one point. We need more than this to achieve our goal but we will try to do that in our next game.”

The left-back pulled it on for Wednesday night’s game with Stoke City, but knows it is a rarity while second in line to the captaincy.

Everton drew the game 1-1 at the bet365 Stadium, but had the referee to thank after he overruled the linesman’s initial decision to chalk off their equaliser for offside.

The Toffees sit seventh in the Premier League, five points shy of Manchester United in sixth, and Baines is expecting another tough game when they host Bournemouth on Saturday.

“It is always an honour and a privilege to be asked,” said the 32-year-old. “I know that it will be Jags [Phil Jagielka] if he’s playing or if he’s not and Gareth [Barry] is, then it will be him. But if I’m selected it is always a nice moment for myself.

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“The result’s not bad, just so long as we can build on it at the weekend. Four points from the two games wouldn’t be too bad. It keeps our little run and the momentum going.

“It will be an entirely different proposition [against Bournemouth] but every game is like that. You’ve got different profiles for teams, different players but we have started our preparations.

“We will get in, do our recovery and get ourselves ready for the game. As I say, hopefully we can add to a decent point with a win.”