In their last encounter at Stamford Bridge in August last year, Mauricio Pochettino's Chelsea held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw in what was his first home game in charge. Liverpool, fresh from Jurgen Klopp's announcement of his departure, displayed dominance with a resounding 5-2 victory over Norwich City in the FA Cup fourth round on Sunday.
Liverpool's relentless attack capitalized on Norwich's defensive errors, with Curtis Jones, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, Virgil van Dijk, and Ryan Gravenberch all finding the net. Their triumph sets up a favorable fifth-round tie against either Watford or Southampton in February.
Unbeaten in their last 10 games across all competitions, Liverpool faces a test with back-to-back home league fixtures against Chelsea and Arsenal within five days. Despite their five-point lead at the top of the table, Manchester City, sitting second, pose a threat with a game in hand.
With a remarkable 22-game unbeaten league streak at Anfield, Liverpool appears confident. However, recent encounters with Chelsea have ended in draws, with the last seven meetings resulting in stalemates.
Chelsea, fresh from securing their EFL Cup final spot, settled for a goalless draw against Aston Villa in the FA Cup fourth round. Their away form, though, has been shaky, with five losses in their last six away games.
Despite this, Chelsea has a decent record at Anfield, winning 18 games against top-of-the-table teams, which offers hope for Wednesday's clash. With three consecutive league wins, Chelsea aims to climb the table, eyeing European qualification.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Liverpool will be missing key players due to injury, including Mohamed Salah, Joel Matip, Kostas Tsimikas, Thiago Alcantara, and Stefan Bajcetic. Wataru Endo is also unavailable as he's away with Japan for the Asian Cup.Alexis Mac Allister, who sat out the win over Norwich due to a minor injury, is expected to return against Chelsea according to Klopp. Trent Alexander-Arnold, Andrew Robertson, and Dominik Szoboszlai all made substitute appearances last time out after recovering from injury and are likely to be in contention for Wednesday's match.
Luis Diaz is pushing for a starting role on the left flank after coming off the bench against Norwich. Cody Gakpo might make way to accommodate Diaz, while Klopp is expected to stick with the in-form duo of Jota and Nunez in attack.
For Chelsea, Reece James, Lesley Ugochukwu, Wesley Fofana, Robert Sanchez, Marc Cucurella, Romeo Lavia, and Trevoh Chalobah are sidelined due to various injuries. Nicolas Jackson is unavailable as he's representing Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.
Christopher Nkunku and Malo Gusto are doubtful for the match due to hip and knock issues respectively, despite their participation in training. Levi Colwill will be assessed ahead of kickoff after withdrawing from the starting lineup against Aston Villa due to an unspecified issue during warm-up.
Left-back Ben Chilwell could make his first Premier League start since September last year after recovering from a hamstring injury. Pochettino also has to decide whether to continue with Cole Palmer as a false nine or opt for Armando Broja upfront.
POSSIBLE LINE-UPS
Liverpool possible starting lineup:Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Jota, Nunez, Diaz
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Petrovic; Disasi, Silva, Badiashile, Chilwell; Caicedo, Fernandez; Palmer, Gallagher, Sterling; Broja
EXPERT PREDICTION
Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea
Considering the history of seven consecutive draws between these two teams, Wednesday's match could shape up to be another closely contested battle. However, Liverpool's formidable record at Anfield might tilt the odds in their favor.
Chelsea needs to avoid another period of struggles in front of goal if they hope to secure a favorable outcome at Anfield. Even if they manage to break through Liverpool's defense, we anticipate that Klopp's determined Liverpool side will find a way to outscore their opponents and clinch a crucial victory.
