Liverpool and Chelsea will clash at Anfield on Sunday to find out whether Arne Slott and Enzo Maresca are ready to take on an unlikely title challenge.
( more: Preview, how to watch Liverpool vs Chelsea )
Liverpool look much more likely in the slot, but given the relatively easy fixture list they were handed at the start of the season, this will be their first big test under the Dutch manager.
Apart from Manchester City’s opening day visit, the fixture list given to Maresca was relatively simple, which goes to show just how brave this young and brave Blues team is.
Below, take a look at the expected line-up for Liverpool vs. Chelsea, check out the latest team news and take a look at some of the tactical battles unfolding on Merseyside.
Liverpool expected line-up, team news, tactics
—- Kelleher —-
—- Alexander-Arnold —- Konate —- Van Dijk —- Robertson —-
—— Szoboschlei —— Grafenberg —— Mac Allister ——
—— Salah —— Jota —— Diaz ——
This Liverpool team is pretty much picking itself right now, with only injuries in goal. Alisson is out with a hamstring problem, but Kelleher should be able to start after recovering from his illness. In defense, a reliable back four of Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk and Robertson will be deployed. Alexander-Arnold is also free to move into midfield and, along with Ryan Gravenbirch, could create a true holding player in the back four if needed. Gravenberch has also given Liverpool a calmer tempo in the midfield (no team has had more touches in the middle third this season), giving the Reds more control over games this season. It became. However, with Caicedo and Fernandes scoring for Grabenbert in midfield, this will be a big test to see if he can withstand the physical battle. The trio of Salah, Jota and Dias looks most likely to start in attack, with Nunez, Gakpo and Chiesa great back-up options. Slot has a clear style of play, and whoever starts the attack in midfield is tasked with holding the ball, being patient, and accelerating at the right time to punish the opponent. Salah is still all through, but Liverpool’s main goal is to give him more possession in areas of the pitch where he can hurt opponents. Salah could run riot against a weakened Chelsea defense with a rusty or inexperienced left-back. Of course, Liverpool are different this season, but Klopp’s influence remains in no small part in this team when they hit their stride in the final third.
Chelsea expected line-up, team news and tactics
——— Sanchez —-
—- Gust —- Toshin —- Colwill —- Veiga —-
—— Caicedo —— Fernandez ——
—— Madueke —— Palmer —— Sancho ——
—- Jackson —-
Chelsea have a big problem with their defensive selection this weekend. Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella are suspended after picking up their fifth yellow cards of the season against Nottingham Forest. Maresca is left with a big problem at full-back, with Reece James just returning from injury and Ben Chilwell, who has been sidelined for much of the season so far, looking rusty. Will he bring Chilwell (pardon the pun) back out of the cold? Or will Renato Veiga be used as left-back? The latter has impressed in the conference league and seems like a natural choice. Tosin and DiSasi are both natural fits at centre-back for Fofana, and it seems likely that Maresca will introduce Reiga and Tosin in place of Cucurella and Fofana. With Caicedo and Fernandes finally having a cohesive partnership in midfield and Chelsea becoming more defensively balanced, the rest of the squad will choose to do so. The trio in front of them is Madueke, Palmer and Sancho, with Jackson at the top, and the quartet has great chemistry, stretching the defense and opening up big gaps on the counter. Sancho is in great form and could expose Alexander-Arnold’s defensive flaws. Felix, Neto and Nkunku coming off the bench late on to score goals and increase the tempo also worked very well.
