Liverpool head to Chelsea looking to make it seven wins in as many Premier League games this season. Here are all the key stats and facts ahead of kickoff.
Can Reds Match Chelsea’s Feat?
The Reds’ start to 2018/19 couldn’t much have been more perfect in the league, with maximum points on the board, despite three tricky away fixtures.
Should Jurgen Klopp‘s side pick up three huge points this weekend, they will become only the second team in Premier League history to win their opening seven matches.
Chelsea also managed it in 2005/06 on their way to the title, when they won their opening nine league games.
Incidentally, Liverpool have reached 18 points 43 days quicker than they did last season, and their seven-game winning streak is their longest since prevailing 11 times on the bounce in 2013/14.
Milestones For Salah & Mane?
Mohamed Salah requires just one more goal to register 50 in England, in all competitions, while Sadio Mane is two efforts short of the same number of goals in the Premier League.
Daniel Sturridge is another member of the ‘almost 50-goal’ camp, with the striker needing one more to reach 50 in the league for Liverpool.
No player has ever scored a hat-trick for the Reds at Stamford Bridge – what a time this would be for Salah, Mane or maybe even Sturridge to change that.
Should Gini Wijnaldum feature, as is expected, he will make his 100th appearance for Liverpool.
A victory for the Reds would be their 200th away win in the Premier League era and would see them win their opening four away league fixtures for just the second time in their history – 1990-91 being the other.
Dangerous Blues
Chelsea have often had the beating of Liverpool in recent times, as highlighted by Wednesday’s League Cup victory at Anfield.
In Olivier Giroud, the Blues have someone who loves facing the Reds, with the Frenchman scoring six times in 12 appearances against them.
Since the Premier League‘s inception in 1992, the Merseysiders have been defeated 14 times – they have only lost on more occasions at Man United (16) during that period.
Liverpool have also failed to keep a clean-sheet in 14 league meetings with Chelsea since the 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge in February 2011.
Despite the threat Chelsea pose, Liverpool have lost just one of the last seven league meetings, winning two and drawing four.
Positives
In the 21 away matches in which Roberto Firmino has scored, totalling 18 victories and 3 draws, Liverpool have never lost.
Klopp’s men may have come up short in west London last season, losing 1-0 to a Giroud effort, but it is one of only three defeats in the league in their last 35 fixtures.
Liverpool, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain are the only three teams in Europe’s five major leagues to have a 100 per cent record this season.
Head to head: (League only)
Liverpool wins: 66
Chelsea wins: 50
Draws: 34
At Chelsea: Liverpool 20 wins, Chelsea 39 wins, 16 draws.
Scorers this season (Premier League in brackets):
Liverpool: Mane 4 (4), Firmino 3 (2), Salah 3 (3), Sturridge 3 (1), Milner 2 (1), Matip 1 (1), Wijnaldum 1 (1), own goals 1 (1).
Chelsea: Hazard 6 (5), Pedro 3 (3), Willian 2 (1), Alonso 1 (1), Emerson 1 (0), Jorginho 1 (1), Kanté 1 (1), Morata 1 (1), own goals 1 (1).
