Two of the Premier League’s early contenders play each other for the second time in a matter of days as Chelsea take on Liverpool in Saturday’s late kick-off. The Reds and the Blues clashed at Anfield in the Carabao Cup, and the Londoners advanced to the next round thanks to a late comeback. After Chelsea drew away to West Ham, Liverpool now boast the only 100% record in the top flight, with 6 wins out of 6, and that will be put to the sword down at Stamford Bridge.
Previous Match- Liverpool 1-2 Chelsea (Carabao Cup)
Chelsea fans will be hoping for a repeat of Wednesday’s League Cup match, as The Blues became the first side to beat Jurgen Klopp’s men this season. Both managers opted to rotate their sides but still fielded a number of first team players, as an opportunity for silverware presented itself.
Eden Hazard then stunned Anfield with a piece of individual brilliance that we’ve become accustomed to from the Belgian. 1-2 the final score, and a huge confidence boost for Sarri’s side.
Lineups
Chelsea
Returning to league action will mean a more familiar Chelsea side will take to the pitch on Saturday. Olivier Giroud has established himself as the first choice under Sarri, especially as Alvaro Morata failed to score again in midweek. Pedro is still injured, so Willian should get another start on the weekend. Elsewhere, Kepa Arrizabalaga returns in net after Willy Caballero deputized in the cup.
Liverpool
Likewise, for Liverpool, a lot of the changes made in midweek will likely be reverted for Saturday’s match. Alisson will return to goalkeeping duties, and I’m also backing club captain Jordan Henderson to make a start in midfield, he’ll be hoping to score another wonder goal at Stamford Bridge.
Daniel Sturridge and Xherdan Shaqiri both have a chance at starting, but a front three of Salah, Firmino, and Mane is near-impossible to break into. Joe Gomez has also had a good season for Liverpool so far, so he’s in with a chance of starting as well.
Key Player: Eden Hazard
Fans and pundits alike have been waxing lyrical about Chelsea’s superstar, and with good reason. The winger scored his first hat-trick of the season against Cardiff a few weeks ago, and got the winner on Wednesday night. Performances like that cued Maurizio Sarri to question whether Hazard is the player on the planet right now. That’s debatable, but what isn’t in doubt is the Belgian’s quality and he will be a factor on Saturday evening.
Even with the addition of Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool’s weakness is their defence, and they’ll have to be on top form for Alisson to keep a clean sheet. Of course, Liverpool’s front three will be a triple threat on the counter-attack, but on current form, Hazard is the biggest threat on the pitch.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Liverpool
At full-strength, Liverpool probably just edge this contest, but Chelsea have the home advantage, which I believe will be enough to achieve parity. It’s impossible not to see The Reds scoring, such is their attacking prowess and play style. The Blues, though, have a staunch defence under Sarri and will be a difficult nut to crack, but the likes of Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah are even tougher to keep out for 90 minutes.
In the end, I think the ultimate winners of this match will be Manchester City, providing they beat Brighton earlier in the day.