Walton: Liverpool a Challenge We've Got to Look Forward To Friday, 24th Jan 2025 15:28 by Kallum Brisset Town goalkeeper Christian Walton says he is embracing the prospect and challenge of facing Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield this weekend. The Blues travel to the red half of Merseyside for the first time since 2002 and sit inside the relegation zone on goal difference, while Arne Slot’s Reds are six points clear at the summit and hold a game in hand on those below. Liverpool, who are also top of the UEFA Champions League standings, are 17 league games unbeaten having lost just once in the top flight since Slot’s arrival last summer. As a result, Walton knows the size of the task at hand but is eager to show what the Blues are capable of and to right the wrongs of last weekend’s 6-0 home defeat to Manchester City. “It’s obviously one that you want to play in the Premier League and one you probably look forward to when the fixtures get released,” he said. “But it’s no different to any other game, it’s Saturday three o’clock and three points are up for grabs. “It’s a nice occasion but once that whistle has gone it’s a completely different ball game. We’re focused on our performance, what the manager wants from us and what we need to do as players is going to be important. “We need to do the things we do well. Starting the game with a real intensity is going to be important, as is knowing our gameplan and sticking to that as much as possible. “They’re obviously a great team and have got some outstanding players so we know it’s not going to be easy, but it’s a challenge that we’ve got to look forward to and really stick to our gameplan. “We definitely don’t want to concede six again and I don’t personally. We’ll be doing our best to keep a clean sheet and go there and challenge their backline with the attacking threats we’ve got, the quality we’ve got in that area of the pitch is important. It’s about focusing on ourselves. “Them, Man City, Chelsea – they’re all top attacking lines and throughout the whole 20 teams in the league. Liverpool are on a rich vein of form at the minute and are doing really well and want to be champions this year, so it’s going to be a tough test but one we’re looking forward to.” Walton is set to start in goal again this weekend for a fifth successive league game having returned to the XI for the victory over Chelsea in December. That return marked a maiden top flight clean sheet for Walton, who is now approaching his 100th game for the Blues, and reflected on that night with plenty of pride. He said: “It was an unbelievable moment winning the game and keeping a clean sheet. An evening kick-off at Portman Road is always special no matter who you’re playing and it was nice to be back in the team for that one. “It’s one game in a long season so it’s making sure that continues and I can do everything I can from now until the end of the season to keep my place in the team and do well for the club. “You never know when your chance is going to come, just like the first game of the season against Liverpool I didn’t expect the chance to come then and it did. “Making sure that I was ready as I hadn’t played a lot of football, but I was always feeling good about it because I knew I had done as much as I possibly could to be ready. It’s vitally important that you are ready at all times for the opportunity in any position.” Manager Kieran McKenna praised the Town glovesman in the aftermath of the Chelsea victory, stating that Walton had deserved his opportunity for the hard work he has put in at the training ground throughout the season. Walton admitted that those comments were nice to hear: “Yeah, definitely. It’s not just me you could say that about but Jack Taylor stepping in against Bournemouth and scoring last minute winners. That doesn’t just come by fluke, it comes by working hard, doing the right things and listening to what the coaches’ plans are for the game. “It’s nice for me personally, but any player that has stepped in this year has done well and has been deserving of any credit that’s gone their way. “You’re only one injury away or a suspension away from being in the team. It can feel like you’re so far away at times but you’re really not. Massimo [Luongo] has maybe not played as much but he came on at the weekend and played a big part in shoring things up on Sunday. Every player at this club is close and is ready to play. “It was the same things as last season, just keep knocking on the door every day with how I trained, how I was around the group and making sure I was supportive at all times. “It can be tough when you’re not playing because everyone wants to play, but you have to look at the bigger picture sometimes and take that time out to look at where you can improve and what you need to do to get into the team. It’s been a challenge and one I’ve enjoyed.” While the Blues’ structure is very fluid, recent matches have appeared to look more of a back three than a traditional back four, with the more defensive set-up proving relatively successful in the festive matches against Arsenal, Chelsea and Fulham. Asked whether he prefers playing behind a three-man defence or a back four, Walton said: “I’ve not had any preference and while I’ve played here I’ve played with a mix. As long as I’m behind the team I don’t really care what’s in front formation-wise. “In different games you need to do different things, the manager has obviously felt that was right for the games that I’ve played.” Walton has been a part of the Town side that has climbed from League One to the Premier League alongside the likes of Leif Davis, Conor Chaplin, Luke Woolfenden, Sam Morsy and Wes Burns. Reflecting on his journey to this point, Walton referenced the incredible unity that the core group have had over the last few years and recalled his early days as a Town player when he was initially on loan from Brighton and Hove Albion. “My experiences are probably a bit different,” the 29-year-old said. “I was at Brighton and started at Plymouth so I’ve seen all the leagues and how teams do it in different divisions. “It’s obviously nice that we’ve been together for large periods where we all signed in League One when the club was going through a really big transition on and off the pitch. We saw that and then the success in League One and the pressures that came with that, then the Championship. “We’ve got a really close knit group, it’s really good to be a part of and we’re probably friends for life given we’ve achieved so much together. “It’s taken a lot of hard work. Last season was tough for me personally and I spent a lot of time out of the team, so I saw that as an opportunity where I was able to reflect on how I was looking as a goalkeeper and ways I wanted to improve. “Last year was a big year for me, as I wasn’t playing I was giving myself time to improve on other bits. Taking a step out of the team was probably beneficial in a way, it’s been a lot of hard work and long may it continue.” He added: “Having the mindset that I always wanted to be a Premier League goalie was key. I didn’t play last year as I would have planned to, but it’s obviously a massive step up but you know that coming into the season. “The level of opposition is really good and really high, but the quality we’ve got in our group is Premier League quality. It’s been a step up, but an enjoyable one to watch it for the first part and to now play in it has been really good. “I’d dreamt about it but the reality of it, probably not. Now we’re here you’ve just got to embrace it and enjoy the moment and the experience. We’re challenging ourselves against the best opposition in the world.”
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