Liverpool are out to record their third successive league win to start the season for the fourth campaign in a row, but they have a fight on their hands against Chelsea.
Here’s our match preview with nine key things you need to know ahead of the Reds’ huge Anfield clash in the Premier League…
Chelsea are…
Chelsea are the defending European champions and arrive at Anfield with an identical record to the Reds to start the season.
They also have two victories, five goals scored and zero conceded, with only West Ham sitting above Liverpool and Chelsea due to goals scored (8).
The Blues have invested in their forward line once again but this time splashed out £103 million to sign Romelu Lukaku, seven years after he left the club – he opened his account against Arsenal.
They have the Super Cup to their name already this season but the Reds will be out to hand them their first setback.
How are the 2 squads shaping up?
Andy Robertson will be welcomed back into the fold after an impressive return from an ankle ligament injury, and Fabinho will also be expected to return to the XI.
A minor injury for James Milner enforced his absence against Burnley and is set to do so again for the visit of Chelsea.
The visitors, meanwhile, could name N’Golo Kante in the starting lineup after recovering from an ankle injury but Christian Pulisic is set to miss out following a positive COVID test.
Klopp vs. Tuchel
The pair have taken similar paths in their managerial career and have faced off against the other on 15 occasions.
Klopp has the bragging rights over his German counterpart, with nine wins as opposed to Tuchel’s three – but it is the latter who won the meeting between Liverpool and Chelsea last season.
And the Reds boss will be keen to make it even on English soil on Saturday to see his number of victories over a Tuchel side hit double figures.
Recent meetings are a mixed bag
Meetings between the two clubs at Anfield have been far from consistent, but the last five have not seen a margin greater than two goals for any one victory.
Goals are to be expected with 16 in the last handful on Merseyside, but one can expect this to be a tight one once more with the odds are currently with the Reds.
- Lost 1-0 – March 2021 (Mount)
- Won 5-3 – July 2020 (Keita, Alexander-Arnold, Wijnaldum, Firmino, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Giroud, Abraham, Pulisic)
- Won 2-0 – April 2019 (Mane, Salah)
- Lost 2-1 – September 2018 (Sturridge; Emerson, Hazard)
- Drew 1-1 – November 2017 (Salah; Willian)
Chelsea could lineup like this…
Chelsea could look to make just one change from their win over Arsenal to line up like this:
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Christensen, Rudiger; James, Jorginho, Kante, Alonso; Havertz, Mount, Lukaku
It would see Mateo Kovacic make way for Kante, with Timo Werner and Hakim Ziyech options off the bench.
The referee is…
Anthony Taylor, with Chris Kavanagh overseeing VAR.
Did you know?
Sadio Mane has the chance to join the likes of Billy Liddell, Ian St John, Steve Nicol, Gordon Hodgson, Tom Cooper and be named as the club’s equal fifth-highest scorer against Chelsea.
The No. 10 needs one goal to sit alongside the above mentioned five former Reds, all of whom have five goals against the Londoners.
It will be his 14th game as a Red in this fixture. Can he do it?
“It’s pretty much a must-watch game!”
There it is, from Klopp’s mouth.
“It will be a big fight,” the manager told reporters in his pre-match press conference.
“It’s one of these games I would watch, 100 percent, if I was not involved. It’s pretty much a must-watch game, if you want.”
Klopp’s press conference is also a must-watch, with the manager covering a number of topics including the transfer market – and Cristiano Ronaldo in particular – along with the “battle” between Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas.
TV Info (UK)
The match is on Sky Sports Main Event, with a 5.30pm (BST) kickoff on Saturday.
You can follow our liveblog here on This Is Anfield throughout and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for all our pre and post-match updates and analysis.
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