Liverpool’s Federico Chiesa will be hoping to start one of Liverpool’s final four games, but if he doesn’t, Liverpool will achieve an unexpected feat.
The Reds have won the title this season without starting a new signing or a new academy player in any league game.
Should that continue for the next four games, they will become the first team to win the title in such a manner since Arsenal in 1970/71.
Thankfully for Chiesa, Arne Slot won’t be too fussed about managing that particular accomplishment!
Goals on the road
The Reds have scored at least once in each of their last 30 league games, since a 1-0 loss to Nottingham Forest in September.
It’s the second-longest scoring streak in a single Premier League era campaign after Arsenal, who scored in all 38 fixtures in 2001/02.
It is only the second time in history they have had a run as long – they netted in 36 consecutive league matches from March 2019 to February 2020.
Virgil van Dijk could become the first outfield player to play every minute of two league title-winning seasons since Phil Neal in 1981/82 and 1982/83.
Only once before have Liverpool won a top-flight title by losing as few as two games in a season (1987/88).
They have scored in every away league match of this campaign. Never in their history have they scored in every away fixture of a league season.
Nine points from the remaining four games will see them register their third-biggest points haul in a title-winning season – they amassed 99 points in 2019/20 and 98 (converted to three points for a win) in 1978/79.
Slot needs seven points from the last four fixtures to record the most points in a Reds manager’s first season in charge. Kenny Dalglish’s team in 1985/86 earned 88 points.
Twelve goals from the last four games will see Liverpool record 92 goals, equalling their highest tally in a top-flight title-winning campaign, set in 1963/64 (a 42-game season).
Liverpool have the same number of points (82) as they amassed in the whole of last season.
Two goals from Mo Salah will see him move into joint-fourth place in the Premier League’s all-time scoring charts, alongside Andy Cole with 187.
Stamford Bridge is a tough place to go
Liverpool have lost two of the last 20 home and away league clashes against Chelsea, both by a 1-0 scoreline (2018 at Stamford Bridge and 2021 at an empty Anfield).
At Stamford Bridge in the Premier League era, they have won eight with 10 draws and 14 defeats. Only at Manchester United (17) have they lost more in the Premier League.
Liverpool are seeking their first double over the Londoners since 2019/20 – their title-winning campaign prior to this season – and their fifth in the Premier League.
The last three league meetings here have all ended in draws – there have never been four in a row.
They are unbeaten in the last six league visits to Stamford Bridge (two wins, four draws) since their last defeat in May 2018 and have lost just two of the last 14 encounters at Chelsea, winning six.
The Reds have scored 26 goals at Stamford Bridge in the last 32 league visits, with the 3-1 win in October 2015 being the only occasion on which they have managed more than two goals in a match since 1989.
This season’s scorers
Chelsea: Nkunku 14, Palmer 14, Madueke 11, Jackson 12, Joao Felix 7, Cucurella 6, Fernandez 6, Guiu 6, Neto 6, Adarabioyo 4, Dewsbury-Hall 3, Mudryk 3, Sancho 4, Disasi 2, George 2, James 2, Renato Veiga 2, Caicedo 1, Colwill 1, own goals 4
Liverpool: Salah 33, Gakpo 17, Diaz 16, Jota 9, Nunez 7, Szoboszlai 7, Mac Allister 7, Alexander-Arnold 4, Elliott 4, Van Dijk 4, Jones 3, Chiesa 2, Konate 2, Danns 1, own goals 1
* Stats courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea (@ged0407).
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