Sunday 7 May 2017 12:35, UK
James Milner says Liverpool are out for revenge this weekend after Southampton denied them a spot in the EFL Cup final earlier this season.
The Saints, who travel to Anfield for the first game of Nissan Super Sunday, beat Liverpool 2-0 over two legs and claimed a place at Wembley - where they proceeded to lose to Manchester United.
"They cost us a cup final and that hurts," Milner told Sky Sports. "They deserved it over the two games but we need to make sure we turn that around, put in a good performance and get one back on them!"
Safe from relegation and out of the battle to qualify for Europe, Southampton should provide relatively straightforward opposition for Liverpool, who are aiming to secure a top-four spot in the Premier League.
But Jurgen Klopp's side have regularly struggled to up their game against teams they've been expected to beat this season, and Milner is expecting another tough task this weekend.
"[At this stage of the season] you've got teams trying to stay up or have nothing to play for so they play with a bit more freedom," he said. "It can be a strange time of the season, every game can become really tough.
"We just want to pick up maximum points in our remaining games and we know we can do that. But every single game is tough. The best thing is to go out there and win our games, that's all we can concentrate on."
Milner has nearly completed a full season as a left-back for Liverpool and admitted that he hasn't always enjoyed the role, but insists he's happy to do it if it means staying in the team.
"It's the first time I've played it in the Premier League and it's not like getting to learn it on a Sunday with your mates," he said. "It's a big change but I've always tried to learn throughout my career and I've played a lot of positions anyway, so it's just trying to do the job as well as you can.
"But it's about whatever is best for the team. Ultimately I just want to be out there playing games and contributing. I haven't gone to [Klopp]. He knows how I feel and asked me at the start of the season about my thoughts. I believe that once you've committed to something and made a decision you stick to it and do your best.
"There have been times I haven't enjoyed it and have been frustrated, but I'm enjoying being part of this squad, we've got a lot of great players and I think we can be successful. I want to be a part of that."
