Liverpool face Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday as the Reds look to continue their title challenge. Here are the key facts and stats ahead of kick-off.
Always a tough game
Since the inception of the Premier League the Reds have won 19 of the 53 clashes, one fewer than Chelsea, with 14 draws.
At Anfield Liverpool have won 13, drawn seven and lost six.
The last three Anfield league meetings have ended in draws, all 1-1, the most in succession between the teams at the stadium.
In all competitions at Anfield Liverpool have not won in the last eight encounters, drawing five and losing three.
Liverpool have not beaten Chelsea at home in the league since May 2012 when they recorded a 4-1 victory. Since then the Reds have drawn four and lost twice.
The Reds have lost one of the last eight league clashes home and away, winning twice with five ending all-square.
Give us the goals
Only on three occasions in the last 38 home league meetings with Chelsea have the Reds failed to score.
Patrik Berger scored Liverpool’s last hat trick against Chelsea at Anfield in October 1997 in a 4-2 win.
In all competitions, Liverpool have not kept a clean sheet against Chelsea in 18 encounters, since winning 2-0 in a League Cup tie in London in November 2011. The sequence in league meetings is currently 15.
The Reds have failed to score in three of the last 22 league and cup encounters.
Familiar faces
Daniel Sturridge played 63 games in the league scoring 13 times while at Chelsea before his move to Liverpool. In all matches, he found the net 24 times in 96 appearances.
When Sturridge found the net at Stamford Bridge last September it was the 17th goal he had scored in the Premier League as a substitute, with only Olivier Giroud and Jermain Defoe having scored more.
Mo Salah played 19 times for today’s visitors, scoring twice. Both goals and 13 of the appearances came in the Premier League.
Milestones
Georginio Wijnaldum could make his 100th league appearance for the Reds.
Dejan Lovren requires one appearance to reach 200 in his career with English clubs in all competitions.
This will be Jurgen Klopp‘s 200th game in charge of Liverpool in all competitions.
He has overseen 111 victories, with 51 draws and 37 defeats. Only two Reds managers have ever won more games in the opening 200 matches in charge of the club: Kenny Dalglish, 118, and Rafa Benitez, 115.
Form forwards
Roberto Firmino has scored seven goals in his last six Anfield Premier League appearances. He is two goals short of recording 50 in the league for the Reds.
Nine days ago Mo Salah scored his 50th league goal for Liverpool and in doing so achieved the feat in fewer games than any player in the club’s history—69 games, beating the record of Fernando Torres who did so in 72.
Salah has not found the net in his last five Anfield appearances.
Fortress Anfield
The Reds are unbeaten at home in the last 37 league games (27 wins, 10 draws). It is the joint-second longest run in Premier League history—level with Manchester City.
They are well behind Chelsea‘s best of 86, set between 2004-08, which was ended by Liverpool.
Liverpool have already scored more goals at home in the league this season (46) than they achieved in the last four complete top-flight campaigns at Anfield.
Faith vs. Nerves
The Reds have scored 21 times during the last 15 minutes of top-flight games this season, with seven coming in the last six matches.
Liverpool go into this round of matches having accrued 16 points from losing positions—more than any top-flight team.
Chelsea blues
Eden Hazard has scored seven times in 17 games against Liverpool (including one goal in two meetings while with Lille). He has found the net four times in seven visits to Anfield in league and cup.
The Belgian has found the net four times in his last four league starts.
Chelsea have lost four of their last six away games in the top-flight, suffering setbacks in that sequence at Arsenal, Bournemouth, Manchester City and Everton.
Maurizio Sarri’s men have not kept a Premier League clean sheet outside of London since beating Burnley 4-0 on 28 October.
Chelsea are the only team not to have a player red-carded in the Premier League this season.
Chelsea have won their last three league games since the 2-0 defeat at Everton in mid-March. That defeat is their only loss in the last 12 matches in all competitions (excluding penalties).
Scorers this season
Liverpool: Salah 21, Mane 20, Firmino 15, Milner 6, Shaqiri 6, Sturridge 4, van Dijk 4, Origi 3, Keita 2, Wijnaldum 2, Alexander-Arnold 1, Fabinho 1, Henderson 1, Lovren 1, Matip 1, own goals 3.
Chelsea: Hazard 19, Giroud 11, Morata 9, Pedro 9, Loftus-Cheek 8, Willian 8, Barkley 5, Hudson-Odoi 5, Kante 4, Alonso 3, Higuain 3, Jorginho 2, Luiz 2, Azpilicueta 1, Emerson 1, Fabregas 1, Rudiger 1, own goals 4.
All stats courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea (@ged0407).
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