Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has thrown a shrewd dig in the direction of title rivals Liverpool just days before their crunch Premier League contest, insisting "we learnt from your FA Cup mistake”.
The Reds were already out of the fifth round draw after succumbing to a shock 2-1 reverse defeat to Championship side Wolves by the time Chelsea took to the field in their home clash with Brentford on Saturday afternoon - a match Antonio Conte’s side won 4-0.
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Michy Batshuayi’s penalty was followed by goals from Willian, Pedro and Branislav Ivannovic as Chelsea eased into the last 16 of the competition they last won in 2012.
It was a terrific performance and result ahead of their visit to Anfield on Tuesday night, and Fabregas has confirmed the Blues will look to add to Liverpool’s misery.
“It is better to learn from other teams’ mistakes like what happened to Liverpool and we saw that,” the Spaniard told the official Chelsea website.
“It is a big lesson before you go onto the pitch that you have to give 100 per cent. There were a lot of different faces for this game but a professional job. We did well, we gave it all and we are pleased.
“We have three days to prepare well and I am sure the manager and the team will do the best we can to prepare for what I hope will be a fantastic game and a win for us.”
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Fabregas has also heaped praise on Nathan Ake after the 21-year-old produced an outstanding performance on Saturday and believes the defender has the ability to perform on a regular basis.
“Since I have been here he has trained with the team in pre-season and I have always felt that he is a fantastic young player,” said Fabregas.
“It is great that all of the young players showed what they can do in games like this and also winning which is important for getting the confidence because it is not easy.
“We are only playing in the Premier League and the FA Cup so it is not easy to have minutes in this team but it was good that a lot of them could have minutes in this game and show the manager what can happen if he needs them.”