Chelsea-Liverpool is a Premier League Week 8 replay and is played on Tuesday at 9pm: TV, odds, predictions
The two big disappointments of this Premier League: hard to find a better way to present the challenge at Stamford Bridge. Both Chelsea and Liverpool’s seasons are in danger of turning out to be epic fiascos, also considering the astronomical sums spent on the market by the very rich presidencies of the Blues and Reds. And if at the end of the game they fail to make it to at least the Champions League, it would be truly sensational.
An eventuality, however, far from remote given the league table. Liverpool’s situation is better than that of the Londoners, who have fallen to the right side of the table. The Reds have lost their last three matches in all competitions – in the Champions League they have been beaten twice by Real Madrid, Chelsea’s next opponent in the quarter-finals – and last Saturday came the quite predictable humiliation at the Etihad Stadium against Guardiola’s Manchester City (4-1). Defeat that leaves Jurgen Klopp’s men in eighth position, with eight points to make up on Manchester United and Newcastle, the two teams currently occupying fourth place. Qualification for the Champions League is now compromised for Havertz and his team-mates: after a series of four positive results that had brought back a good mood, in the last round Chelsea were beaten at home (0-2) by Unai Emery’s Aston Villa.
Chelsea, the Potter era already over
Another poor performance convinced the club to sack Graham Potter, whose time on the Blues’ bench lasted only a few months. The former Brighton man had arrived in September, taking over from Thomas Tuchel.
Salah
While waiting to see who the successor will be, Bruno Saltor will sit on the bench in this recovery. He will be the interim coach in a match that Chelsea must win at all costs if they want to keep the flame of hope alive. The Londoners are eleventh, -12 from fourth place but with one match more than Newcastle-Man United. To finish in the top four, in short, some sort of sporting miracle will be needed. Unlike Liverpool, Chelsea is busy on another front: the Champions League. In a week’s time, they will face reigning champions Real Madrid in a challenge that, in light of the two teams’ state of health, appears to be already written. In the last few meetings between Chelsea and Liverpool there has always been very little scoring. In January it ended 0-0, the same result that came out last year in the two national cup finals played at Wembley. As for the line-up, Saltor will have to do without several players including the injured Broja, Azpilicueta, Thiago Silva, Mendy and Aubameyang. Sterling and Fofana are also in strong doubt. It is not to be ruled out that Kanté will start from the 1′ after re-tasting the field with the Villans. On the other side, Klopp could switch to a 4-2-3-1, with Salah, Firmino and Diogo Jota behind Darwin Nunez. On the left, a possible chance for Tsimikas.
In the same vein as before, the match between Chelsea and Liverpool could prove to be a locked and contracted affair, especially in the first half. Fear, in short, is likely to dominate. Another draw, which would be the fourth in a row, cannot be ruled out.
The Chelsea-Liverpool line-up probables
- CHELSEA (3-4-2-1): Kepa; Badiashile, Koulibaly, Fofana; James, Enzo Fernandez, Kanté, Chilwell; Mount, Havertz; Joao Felix.
- LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, van Dijk, Tsimikas; Henderson, Fabinho; Salah, Firmino, Diogo Jota; Darwin Nunez.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1
