Antonio Conte caused a stir before Chelsea v Liverpool when he suggested that Liverpool were 'lucky' to be in the Champions League final.

“I think that, in the league, you have 38 games to show you deserve to win the league, to show you are the best during the season,” he said.

“In the Champions League, when you reach the last 16 or quarter-finals or semi-finals, one situation – positive or negative – can change your future in this competition. For this reason, I think that to win the Champions League you must be more lucky.

“You must be good to deserve it, but at the same time you must be lucky. One referee's decision can settle your future totally. In the league, over 38 games, usually the team who deserves to win it wins it.

“Luck is always important in every competition, but when you have the possibility to play 38 games you can show you are the best. In a little tournament, like the FA Cup or Carabao or Champions League or Europa League, sometimes one decision can move your future."

Although Conte would later go on to state that Liverpool 'deserve to be in the final', his comments have still rubbed Reds fans up the wrong way.

Some feel that they were unnecessary comments to make before their clash at Stamford Bridge, which Chelsea ended up winning 1-0, including Robbie Fowler.

The Liverpool legend dismissed Conte's words as 'rubbish', before raving about how impressive Jurgen Klopp's men have been in the competition.

"All that rubbish from Antonio Conte about lucky teams winning being able to win the Champions League, well, he's better than that. He really is," Fowler wrote in his column for the Mirror.

"You can't fluke your way into the final of the world's toughest competition. Liverpool had to beat City, they had to beat a Roma side who were far, far better than people give them credit for, a Roma side who destroyed Barcelona.

"I'm not a great believer in stats, because I think you can always make them bend to whatever you want them to prove, but Liverpool's in Europe don't lie. They show just how brilliant Jurgen Klopp's men have been, and how much they deserve to be in the final."

Well said, Robbie.

Liverpool deserve to be in the final. There's no two ways about it.

They've been the most entertaining side in the competition this year, with their attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino producing some scintillating football.

Although Conte's logic is understandable, it was an unnecessary comment to make before their Premier League clash. And Fowler responded perfectly.

The 43-year-old also hopes that Liverpool win the final, not because he is a fan, but for a number of reasons.

"I also hope they go on and win the final in Kiev. Really? I hear you ask. Ok. But for more reasons than because I support them," he continued.

"Because they have been the most exciting team in the competition, have the best forward line of all the teams in it this year, and because I like to see sides with the courage to attack their opponents get reward for that."