Liverpool vs Chelsea: Preview and Prediction

Liverpool will host Chelsea in the Premier League on Wednesday, looking to continue their title charge with a win at home.

Liverpool are in impressive form right now, having picked up four wins and two draws from the last six league games ahead of the visit of Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday night.

The Reds have an impressive head-to-head record against Chelsea in recent seasons as well and it will be interesting to see if Jurgen Klopp can help his side extend their lead at the top of the table.

Meanwhile, Chelsea are 9^th in the league table and they have shown tremendous improvement in recent weeks. They have picked up four wins from their last five league matches and the Blues will look to upset the odds and pull off a memorable win at Anfield.

Team News & Tactics

Liverpool

The Reds will be without Joel Matip, who has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Stefan Bajcetic and Thiago Alcantara are still working on their recovery, and they are unlikely to be risked here. Kostas Tsimikas remains sidelined with a collarbone injury, and Mohamed Salah misses out with a thigh injury. Wataru Endo is away on international duty with Japan.

Liverpool are likely to shape up in their usual 4-3-3 formation, with Alisson Becker in goal. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez are likely to be deployed as the full-backs. They will look to contribute defensively and help out in the attack. Andrew Robertson is unlikely to be risked here after his cameo against Norwich City. Ibrahima Konate will start at the heart of the defence along with captain Virgil van Dijk.

Alexis Mac Allister will feature in the anchor role, and he will look to help out defensively and control the tempo of the game. Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai will likely start alongside him, with the duo looking to add creativity and drive to the side. Darwin Nunez will look to continue his impressive run of form and lead the line for Liverpool against Chelsea. Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota will start on either side of him.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Gomez; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Jones; Jota, Nunez, Diaz

Chelsea

The Blues have a number of injury problems heading into this game, and they will be without Wesley Fofana, Reece James, Marc Cucurella, Romeo Lavia, Robert Sanchez and Trevoh Chalobah.

Nicolas Jackson will return from international duty soon after Senegal’s ouster from the Africa Cup of Nations. But Wednesday’s game has come too soon for him. Meanwhile, Chelsea are likely to shape up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Djordje Petrovic in goal.

Axel Disasi and Ben Chilwell will start as the full-backs here. They will look to keep things compact at the back and help out during counter-attacks. Thiago Silva will start at the heart of the defence alongside Levi Colwill.

As for the midfield unit, Moises Caicedo will start alongside Enzo Fernandez in the double pivot. The Argentine midfielder will look to dominate the game from the middle of the park, and Caicedo will look to break up opposition attacks and protect the backline.

Conor Gallagher will be deployed in the attacking midfield role, and he will look to act as the box to box midfielder and help out at both ends of the pitch. Noni Madueke and Raheem Sterling will start in the wide areas. The two players will look to add flair and creativity from the flanks. Cole Palmer will lead the line for Chelsea against Liverpool, and he will look to add to his impressive goal scoring tally for the season.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Disasi, Silva, Colwill, Chilwell; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Gallagher, Sterling; Palmer

Key Stats

• Liverpool have drawn their last seven matches against Chelsea in all competitions.
• Liverpool are undefeated in their last 14 matches in the Premier League.
• Four of the last five matches between these two sides have ended goalless in normal time.
• Chelsea are unbeaten in five of the last six matches across all competitions.

Player to Watch

Darwin Nunez

Embed from Getty Images

The 24-year-old Liverpool striker is in impressive form right now, and he will look to make his mark on the game. Apart from his ability to chip in with goals, the Uruguayan international can impact the game with his creativity, movement and link-up play. Nunez has contributed to four goals and four assists in his last nine appearances, and he is our key player to watch out for.

Prediction

Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea

Both teams are impressive form right now, and this is likely to be a thrilling contest. Neither side will want to drop points here, and they will be cautious in their approach. Liverpool are the better team on paper. But Chelsea have shown immense improvement in recent weeks.

This is likely to be a close contest, and the two teams could end up cancelling each other out and sharing the spoils. A draw seems quite likely. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 stalemate between Liverpool and Chelsea.