Chelsea vs Liverpool will renew their rivalry on Tuesday when both sides meet for the 62nd time in the Premier League era.
Both teams were expected to contest for the top four this season, but they come into this tie far from their expectation and on the back of a Premier League loss over the weekend.
But who will triumph between managerless Chelsea and out-of-form Liverpool?
Chelsea vs Liverpool Preview
It has been a miserable past week at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea had to sack their head coach Graham Potter following a disappointing 2-0 home loss to Aston Villa. The former Brighton man was their second managerial dismissal of the season, as Thomas Tuchel was sacked earlier this season.
Yet results have not improved for Chelsea, who come into this tie sitting outside the top half. Their loss to Villa last weekend was their tenth loss of the season, four more than the six losses they recorded throughout last season.
Meanwhile, Liverpool also recorded a loss at the weekend–a 4-1 loss to Manchester City at the Etihad. The loss was the Reds’ ninth loss of a poor season for Jurgen Klopp’s men, who lost just two league games last season.
The loss also saw them fail to score for the third game in a row after they scored seven against Manchester United. As a result, they come into this tie sitting in eighth place, eight points behind the top four.
Therefore, this game is a must-win game for the Reds and their counterparts, who both began looking to crack the top four this season. However, given the poor form of both teams and the fact that the last five head-to-head games have all been drawn (after regulation time), a share of the spoils will not be seen as a surprising outcome.
Team News
Chelsea are suffering from a raft of injuries ahead of this game. Team captain Cesar Azpilicueta, Armando Broja and Thiago Silva are all sidelined for this game. But Wesley Fofana, Eduoard Mendy, Raheem Sterling and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang could be in contention for a place on the bench.
Liverpool are without Stefan Bajcetic, Naby Keita, Calvin Ramsey and Thiago Alcantara. But they could welcome Colombian winger Luis Diaz to the side after over five months on the sidelines.
Where to watch Chelsea vs Liverpool game
Liverpool’s visit to Stamford Bridge will be shown on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League. Coverage on both channels will begin at 7pm and run until 10.45 pm.
Predicted lineups
Interim Chelsea boss Bruno Saltor will be expected to stick to the players Potter used, given that both men share the same football philosophy.
We also expect Klopp to stick to the lineup that started against City, except that Darwin Nunez might be called to start ahead of Diogo Jota.
Predicted Chelsea Lineup: Kepa; Fofana, Koulibaly, Badiashile; James, Fernandez, Kovacic, Chilwell; Mount, Havertz, Felix.
Predicted Liverpool Lineup: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez.
