Brendan Rodgers has dedicated Liverpool's 1-0 FA Cup win over Blackburn Rovers to the fans after a trying couple of weeks on Merseyside.
The Reds' top-four bid has suffered setbacks in recent weeks after losing to rivals Manchester United and Arsenal, with Saturday's 4-1 defeat at the Emirates particularly disheartening.
However, Rodgers's side shelved their Premier League disappointments tonight as Philippe Coutinho's 70th-minute strike proved enough to set up a semi-final clash with Aston Villa at Wembley.
"We were heavily criticised and disappointed in both games [against United and Arsenal] because of the standards we had set," he told The Telegraph. "So we knew this was vital for us and the supporters.
"This was for them to give them the hope that we're still progressing, but you have to win matches and trophies to do that. As a team, we wanted it, but it wasn't about saving our season. We want to compete at the top end of the league and win trophies.
"We just needed to focus on our performance because the two performances against United and Arsenal were not to the standards we had set."
The last-four clash will take place on April 19.
Shane Callaghan
