Liverpool-Chelsea is a match valid for the 22nd day of the Premier League and is played on Wednesday at 9:15 pm: live TV, probable formations, predictions.
Liverpool and Chelsea next February 25 will compete in a dry contest at Wembley for the second title of the season, namely the League Cup. A re-run of the final two years ago, which the Reds won after penalty kicks. We are pretty sure that the two coaches, Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino, will take advantage of this league match to “study” each other better, although both need three points like bread to continue chasing their respective goals.
We start with Liverpool, still reeling from the announcement by the Stuttgart coach this week that this will be his last season on the Reds’ bench. A bolt out of the blue (?) for a club that will have to set out immediately to find a replacement: you don’t find a coach like Klopp, who in nine years took Liverpool back to the top of the world, revolutionized its game and allowed it to win everything, overnight. The former Borussia Dortmund coach’s latest “gift” could be the Premier League. Dreaming is permissible, as after 21 days in the league Salah and his teammates look down on everyone, with a 5-point lead over the second-placed (Manchester City, Arsenal and Aston Villa).
An appetizer of the League Cup final
Liverpool in the Premier hasn’t lost since September, and in the last round they had a comfortable success against Bournemouth, overwhelmed 4-0 despite the absence of Salah, who was engaged with Egypt in the African Cup of Nations.
The Egyptian, however, was injured in one of the last games with his national team (eliminated in the round of 16) and immediately returned to England: it will probably take at least a couple of weeks to see him back on the field. That’s one less problem for Pochettino and his Chelsea, who are struggling to get back on track after a disappointing start to the season. The Blues, despite heavy investment from ownership, are currently only ninth, with 12 points to make up on fourth-placed Aston Villa. Participation in the next European competitions, therefore, is again at risk.
Chelsea is coming off a 0-0 draw with Aston Villa in the FA Cup — a replay will be needed — while in their previous two matches they had annihilated Middlesbrough 6-1 in the League Cup semifinal return and narrowly beaten Fulham (1-0) thanks to a penalty kick by Palmer. The Argentine coach will travel to Anfield with the usual slew of absentees: absent will be Cucurella, Lavia, James, Sanchez, Jackson and Fofana; in doubt are Malo Gusto and Nkunku.
The Prediction
Salah’s absence weighs but Liverpool has shown it can do without even its strongest and most representative player. Chelsea shows signs of recovery but remains an inconsistent team: at Anfield they will play their cards but are unlikely to avoid defeat in a match of at least one goal per side.
Liverpool-Chelsea’s likely lineups
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz.
CHELSEA (4-2-3-1): Petrovic; Disasi, Thiago Silva, Badiashile, Chilwell; Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez; Palmer, Gallagher, Sterling; Broja.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 2-1
