Thoughts on the game?

Gutted that we didn't win it, because I think we deserved to win from the beginning to the end. We did almost everything that we had to do to win it. But this is the quality of the opposition, with one chance they score a goal. And then the margins of the league as well. For millimetres we could have been sitting here with three points after a really strong and dominant performance against a really good team.

Why are Fulham so hard to break down?

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They are really well organised. This is football. When we played them at home last year the margin was huge for us but they scored two goals from three or four chances. That’s the quality of every opposition. You cannot cry about it.

That’s the beauty of this league too. The beauty of this team too is how they are able to play today, even in this circumstances and against good opposition. I’m really happy for that.

What’s missing from open play?

I think it's a great thing that we can again score from a set-piece. We can generate other stuff, we had a other chances. For a team to play like this you have analyse every phase. Obviously against a low block you generate set pieces and you generate crosses because it’s really difficult to attack inside.

Have you seen the VAR for Martinelli's offside back?

No.

It was tight…

But it was offside no? I imagine that if they give it it's offside. That emotionally was tough because we were so happy and we really dug in to take it and it was taken away.

With small margins going against you is it hard not to feel like things aren’t going your way?

That's the quality of opposition. We cannot feel sorry for ourselves. We have to stand up for ourselves. We had a really good performance against a really good side. Normally you don’t see these kind of games here. Now we have to continue to improve and look at what we can do better so that the opposition have zero chances to win the game. That's the objective.

With Liverpool not playing does it feel like an opportunity missed?

We really wanted it. We have good momentum and it was a really crucial moment for us to go for it. We certainly did. We certainly tried and we were so close to doing it. Unfortunately we didn't manage to achieve it.

Do you feel more pain because of the opportunity

Yeah but as well because we want to win deserving to win against any kind of opposition. When they are able to change something we are still able to adapt and be so dominant and good in the game. That's the thing.

It's all about us because we don’t know what the opposition is going to do. If we continue to play at this level with the threat that we are we are going to win a lot of games.

Will Gabriel, Zinchenko or Calafiori be able to play against Monaco?

I hope, but it's more a question for the doctors and physios to understand where we are. We are missing a lot of players in the backline. The good thing is that whatever we put there they respond. They respond with a good attitude and performance.

That's the ninth different back four this season. How disruptive is that?

We know that when we have consistency there how much it's giving us. That's a different season. It's bringing different challenges. We're trying to face them and we’re going to continue in that direction.

Are you happy with the amount of chances you're creating from open play?

It's never enough if you don't score three, four or five. If we want to improve we have to be better in every action that we do. If they play 11 direct balls there I want to win 11. If they put 12, then 12. If they put the high press six times I want to play six times. We want to manage the game 100%. This is football.

Did you miss Gabriel today?

Yeah but I'm really pleased with the performance of Jakub [Kiwior] as well. We had to change the whole unit. Jakub there and Jurrien [Timber] on the left, they've never played together and Thomas as a full-back. OK he come in and he does it. Jorgi comes in and he was excellent. That's it, they are not available. We have to respond to that and I'm very happy with the way they did it.

Is there a positive that you can adapt without key players?

Yes. They understand the situation that we are in where we have been missing players since the start of the season. Trying to help the team by really feeling it. We are asking them to do things that they have never done. They buy into that and that's really good.

Do you think the way Fulham defended your set-pieces was fair?

Yeah for sure. If they don't do something unfair it's down to the referee to decide. I don't think there was an issue there.

Your corners have become an event. Do you sense that?

For sure because we are a real threat and for the opposition it’s not simple to do.

Do you think the changes at the back led to Fulham's goal?

I don't know. I cannot promise you with different personnel it wouldn't happen. It was a really random situation. Sometimes you have to praise the opposition. From that angle to score with the only shot of the game for the striker, the way he put it away, he did it. OK credit to them as well, and sometimes you have to recognise that.