25 Aug 2021
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Both sides have made identical starts to their campaigns, winning 3-0 on the opening weekend and following up with 2-0 victories on matchday two, with this a first real test of their title credentials.
At the sharp end, Liverpool have benefitted from a summer of rest for key stars Sadio Mane and Mo Salah, who along with Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino are all off the mark already.
Chelsea have of course strengthened in that department with the acquisition of Romelu Lukaku, who simply bullied Arsenal and in particular Pablo Mari as he returned to the Premier League with a man of the match display that saw him open the scoring.
The Belgian striker will face a much sterner test this weekend as Virgil van Dijk is hardly likely to be pushed around in the same manner, with the centre-back’s return to the side transforming the outlook of Liverpool’s rearguard.
The Reds may only have had to face Norwich and Burnley so far though, and the Blues can boast a similar defensive resolve themselves.
Whereas Chelsea were shipping an alarming number of goals under Frank Lampard, Thomas Tuchel has turned the backline into a key source of strength and they’ve only shipped 17 goals in 33 games under the German to date in all competitions.
The trio of Antonio Rudiger, Andreas Christensen and Cesar Azpilicueta looks well balanced, while the switch to a back three has allowed them to get the best out of Marcos Alonso, who can occasionally be suspect defensively but excelled in a similar system under Antonio Conte previously.
Battle Of The Full-Backs
It will be interesting to see who wins the battle of the full-backs, with Alonso and Reece James having already grabbed a goal each this term, while the latter also has an assist to his name.
Andy Robertson has made a swift recovery from ankle ligament damage in a pre-season friendly earlier this month to make Liverpool’s bench for the opening two weekends, but replacement Kostas Tsimikas and regular right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold each provided an assist last time out.
Liverpool have won four of last five Premier League encounters with Chelsea, and given they’re currently on a run of 10 wins from 12 unbeaten games in this competition, it’s tempting to side with the hosts with fans back at Anfield.
However, it’s worth noting that Man Utd were the only side from each of the past two season’s top five that they encountered over this spell.
Fabinho Set To Return
Jurgen Klopp’s midfield also has a lightweight feel to it at the moment with James Milner a minor doubt and only expected to make the bench, coupled with the sale of Georginio Wijnaldum over the summer.
Still, Fabinho could be set to return this weekend after missing the previous outing on compassionate grounds, and his absence from the midfield base last term when utilized as a makeshift centre-back hurt the team badly.
Both Teams To Score
Although both sides have quality defences, Liverpool have found the net in 12 consecutive league games now, while Chelsea have scored in six consecutive games in all competitions.
Five of Liverpool’s final six games against top-seven outfits last term saw both sides register on the scoreboard, with those same five matches all featuring at least four goals, while 13 of the last 19 head-to-heads in all competitions have seen both sides score.
PREDICTION:
BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE
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