Chelsea will host Liverpool in their opening game of the Premier League campaign on Sunday evening, looking to make an impressive start with the three points.
Sunday will bring two London-based games in the English top flight, as Gameweek 1 closes in on its conclusion. And Chelsea vs Liverpool will be a blockbuster fixture for both teams to kick-start their Premier League campaigns.
The Blues had a disappointing Premier League campaign in the 2022/23 season, finishing 12th in the league table. They will be desperate to make amends this time around, and it remains to be seen whether Mauricio Pochettino can get them firing and all cylinders once again.
Chelsea have spent significant sums of money on new signings over the past year, and they will be expected to deliver on the pitch now. On the other hand, the Reds have had significant chopping and changing in the midfield. And it will be interesting to see if Jurgen Klopp’s new-look Liverpool midfield can deliver the goods in a tough away game vs Chelsea on the opening weekend.
Liverpool missed out on Champions League qualification last season, and they will be looking to bounce back strongly and secure a top-four finish this season. The Reds certainly have the quality in their squad to push for major trophies and new signings like Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai will look to hit the ground running at their new club.
1️⃣ day to go… ⏳
We get our @premierleague campaign underway tomorrow 👊 pic.twitter.com/zmUgeog771
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 12, 2023
Team News & Tactics
Chelsea
The Blues have a number of injury issues heading into the opening game of the season. Christopher Nkunku has been sidelined for several months with ligament damage. Benoit Badiashile and Wesley Fofana are injured as well. Meanwhile, youngster Armando Broja is still recovering from his injury from last season.
Chelsea are expected to start with summer signing Robert Sanchez in goal in a 4-2-3-1 system. Ben Chilwell and newly-appointed captain will look to add width and defensive cover as the full-backs.
Summer signing Axel Disasi is expected to make his Premier League debut here alongside talented young Levi Colwill. Both players are excellent defenders in their own right, and Chelsea will be hoping for a formidable partnership from them.
In the midfield, Conor Gallagher is likely to partner Enzo Fernandez. Gallagher will be expected to do much of the defensive work as Fernandez creates goalscoring opportunities and controls the tempo of the game.
Raheem Sterling and Mykhailo Mudryk will be deployed as the wingers. They will look to add pace and flair from the wide areas. Finally, summer signing Nicolas Jackson is set to lead the line for Chelsea, with Carney Chukwuemeka behind him in the number ten role.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Sanchez; James, Disasi, Colwill, Chilwell; Gallagher, Fernandez; Sterling, Chukwuemeka, Mudryk; Jackson
Liverpool
Liverpool could be without Thiago Alcantara for this game. The Spanish international is back in training, but he might not be ready to start the game just yet. Youngster Stefan Bajcetic is in a similar situation.
Alisson Becker is set to start in goal as the Reds line up in their usual 4-3-3 formation. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson will look to add creativity from the wide areas along with their defensive responsibilities. Ibrahima Konate is set to start alongside Virgil Van Dijk at the heart of the defence.
Summer signings Alexis Mac-Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai are both expected to start here and they will look to help Liverpool control the tempo of the game and help create goalscoring opportunities.
Curtis Jones is likely to start alongside them. Ideally, Liverpool would have liked the defensive midfielder in there. But they are yet to bring in a quality alternative to Fabinho amid links with Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia. Finally, Cody Gakpo is expected to lead the line, with Mohamed Salah and Diogo Jota on either side of him.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Jota
Key Stats
- Each of the last six league and cup meetings between Chelsea and Liverpool have ended in a draw, including the two domestic cup finals in 2022, both subsequently won by the Merseysiders on penalties. The four most recent encounters have finished 0-0. No fixture in competitive English football history has finished goalless five times in a row.
- Chelsea are winless in eight home matches in all competitions (D4 L4) since beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the UEFA Champions League on 7 March. But the Blues have won their opening Premier League game on 20 occasions, a joint record.
- Liverpool lost eight Premier League away matches last season, as many as in their previous three campaigns combined. The Reds have not lost their opening league game in any of the past 10 seasons (W8 D2), with their last such defeat a 3-0 loss at West Bromwich Albion in 2012.
- Chelsea have earned four Premier League wins and 20 points in 2023, fewer than any other side ever-present in the top flight in this time.
- Mohamed Salah has scored in Liverpool’s opening Premier League game in all six of his seasons with the Reds. His total of eight goals on the opening weekend is a joint record in the competition, matching the totals of Alan Shearer, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney.
Player to Watch
Trent Alexander-Arnold
The Liverpool full-back will be a key player for his side this weekend. Chelsea will look to make life difficult for the visitors, and they have quality defenders at their disposal. Liverpool might struggle to create openings against the home side, and Alexander-Arnold’s vision and execution could prove to be the difference.
Prediction
Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool
The two teams have played out a number of stalemates in recent seasons, and this one is unlikely to be any different. Neither Chelsea nor Liverpool are likely to want to start on a losing note, and a cautious approach can be expected from both teams.
The two sides are likely to cancel each other out this weekend, and a draw seems like the most probable result. The Hard Tackle predicts Chelsea and Liverpool to play out a 1-1 stalemate at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
