Liverpool are all set to lock horns with Chelsea this Saturday in what promises to be a highly entertaining game of football. Liverpool will be confident about the chances of securing a victory at Anfield, where they have been superb this season. Jurgen Klopp’s men, who gave away a 3 goal lead in midweek against Sevilla, have only conceded a single league goal at home this season.
It remains to be seen whether the Blues can score at Anfield but they will be full of confidence after securing a thumping 4-0 win at Qarabag.
The Merseysiders are currently three points behind Chelsea in 5th place, while the Blues are hot on Manchester United’s heels with Manchester City running away with the Premier League title. A victory on Saturday can go a long way in helping either of these teams’ chances to secure a top 4 spot.
Chelsea boasts a terrific recent record at Anfield. The Blues have not lost in their last six visits to the red half of Merseyside. Their last loss came in May 2012 when Liverpool thrashed them 4-1.
Another striking statistic surrounding the tie is that the scorelines of the past three affairs between the two teams at Anfield have been 1-1. So we can expect another tight contest on Saturday with the outcome probably being decided by a moment of individual brilliance.
Team News:
Liverpool
The Reds are all set to welcome back Joel Matip who missed the trip to Sevilla due to a knock sustained last week. It will be a big boost for Liverpool, especially after their defence crumbled in midweek once again when Sevilla came back from 3-0 down and secured a draw.
Jurgen Klopp will also hope that Adam Lallana will be back from his long-term injury but he may have to settle for a place on the bench.
Chelsea
The Blues have no fresh injury concerns. The Londoners had the privilege to rest some of their star players in midweek, and it is expected that Antonio Conte will have his strongest eleven out at Anfield.
Predicted Line-Ups:
Liverpool (Formation: 4-3-3)
Simon Mignolet will resume his goalkeeping duties once again for Liverpool. Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren should start at the centre of the Liverpool defence while Klopp may opt for Trent Alexander Arnold to start at right back and James Milner as a makeshift left fullback.
The midfield trio may include Emre Can, Gini Wijnaldum and Phillipe Coutinho with the front three of Mohammad Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane feeding off them.
Chelsea (Formation: 3-5-2)
Thibaut Courtois will start in goal and the central defensive trio of César Azpilicueta, Andreas Christensen and Gary Cahill will be protecting him. Antonio Conte may once again opt to play Davide Zappacosta on the right flank and Marcos Alonso on the left flank.
The midfield three of N’Golo Kanté, Cesc Fabregas and Tiémoué Bakayoko will battle it out against the Liverpool midfielders while Eden Hazard will play on the shoulder of Alvaro Morata up top.
Odds:
Liverpool Win: 23/20
Draw: 12/5
Chelsea win: 23/20
