Here’s a preview and prediction for Sunday’s Premier League clash at Anfield between Liverpool and Chelsea. Can Arne Slot’s league-leading Reds continue their impressive form this season?
Liverpool vs Chelsea: Match Preview
This weekend’s Premier League showdown features two in-form teams, as league leaders Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield in what promises to be a thrilling encounter.
Liverpool have thrived under new head coach Arne Slot, winning nine of their first 10 matches in all competitions—an impressive start for the Dutchman. However, Opta’s power ranking system suggests the Reds have had the easiest fixture run of any Premier League team so far.
Chelsea, after a tough opening loss to Manchester City, have bounced back to win four of their last six league games and will likely present a much sterner challenge.
Replacing Jürgen Klopp was always going to be a tough task, but Slot has made it look straightforward, bringing more control and stability to Liverpool’s play. Apart from a surprising 1-0 home loss to Nottingham Forest in September, Slot’s approach has worked wonders.
Despite winning seven of their eight league matches and sitting atop the table, Liverpool rank third in expected goals (xG) with 14.0, trailing behind Chelsea and Tottenham. Slot has instead focused on defensive solidity, building a strong foundation for his team.
Liverpool boast the best defensive record in the Premier League this season, conceding just two goals, keeping five clean sheets, and recording the lowest expected goals against (xGA) at 5.2. In the 266 minutes where their Premier League matches have been level, Liverpool have faced just 16 shots—an average of 5.4 per 90 minutes, the lowest total in the competition.
It could be argued that Liverpool have had some fortunate moments recently. They’ve allowed opponents good chances, and were perhaps lucky not to concede a penalty when Virgil van Dijk pulled Marc Guéhi’s arm during their 1-0 win over Crystal Palace. That victory came at a cost, though, as goalkeeper Alisson suffered a hamstring injury that will sideline him for a few weeks.
Fortunately for Liverpool, Caoimhín Kelleher is a dependable backup. The Republic of Ireland international has consistently performed when called upon, and since the start of last season, he has prevented 2.9 more goals than expected, conceding 10 Premier League goals (excluding own goals and penalties) from an expected goals on target (xGOT) of 12.9.
Kelleher also featured in Liverpool’s extra-time win over Chelsea in the EFL Cup final last February, and he memorably scored the decisive penalty in a shootout victory over Chelsea in the same competition two years earlier, giving him fond memories of facing the Blues.
Chelsea should head to Anfield in high spirits, as they, along with Liverpool, are the only teams to maintain a 100% away win record in the Premier League this season (Liverpool 4/4, Chelsea 3/3). Chelsea have only won their first four away league matches twice before, in the 2005-06 (4) and 2008-09 (8) seasons.
Enzo Maresca, meanwhile, is aiming to become just the fifth manager to win his first four away Premier League games. One of the four others to achieve this is Arne Slot, alongside Bobby Gould, John Gregory, and Luiz Felipe Scolari.
Chelsea’s usual approach will be to dominate possession, but they might benefit from being patient and capitalizing on counter-attacking opportunities.
Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke could play a key role in this strategy, having created 15 chances for each other in the Premier League this season, the most of any pair.
Palmer’s four assists for Madueke are the highest provided by one player for a teammate this season. Additionally, Palmer has been directly involved in more Premier League goals (44 – 28 goals, 16 assists) than any other player in the top flight since the beginning of last season.
The 22-year-old was named Premier League Player of the Month for September and has now claimed two of the last three Player of the Month awards. Only Frank Lampard (four) has won more of these accolades for Chelsea than Palmer (two).
Palmer won’t be the only attacking threat, though. With the likes of Nicolas Jackson, João Félix, Pedro Neto, and Jadon Sancho, Chelsea have several players capable of challenging Liverpool’s solid defense.
Liverpool vs Chelsea: Head-to-Head
After losing three straight league matches to Chelsea between 2013 and 2014, Liverpool have since been defeated by the Blues just twice in their last 19 encounters (7 wins, 10 draws).
In fact, Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six Premier League clashes with Chelsea, though five of those ended in draws (W1).
Chelsea, meanwhile, have managed just one win in their last nine Premier League visits to Anfield (D5, L3), including a 4-1 defeat in the same fixture last season.
That emphatic win for Liverpool came just weeks before the EFL Cup final, where a depleted Reds side triumphed 1-0 thanks to Virgil van Dijk’s stoppage-time header. In that match, Chelsea—under Mauricio Pochettino at the time—missed four “big chances,” as defined by Opta, opportunities where a goal would be reasonably expected.
Under Enzo Maresca, the newly crowned Premier League Manager of the Month for September, Chelsea have become more clinical in front of goal. With 16 goals, they trail only Manchester City (17) in the league’s scoring charts and have exceeded their expected goals (xG) of 14.7. They’ll be looking to make the most of any key opportunities that arise during Sunday’s match.
Liverpool vs Chelsea: Team News
Liverpool
Liverpool will be missing two key players for Sunday’s Premier League match against Chelsea at Anfield. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker is out with a hamstring injury sustained during the 1-0 victory over Crystal Palace before the international break, while Harvey Elliott remains sidelined after fracturing his foot while playing for England’s Under-21s last month.
Head coach Arne Slot has also expressed concerns over the fitness of Alexis Mac Allister, Kostas Tsimikas, and Wataru Endo as they return from international duty.
Slot has confirmed that Caoimhin Kelleher will replace Alisson in goal following his recovery from illness, and he is expected to start behind a back four of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, captain Virgil van Dijk, and Andrew Robertson.
If Mac Allister is fit, he is likely to partner Ryan Gravenberch in central midfield. However, there is a decision to be made regarding the No.10 position behind the main striker. Curtis Jones was preferred to Dominik Szoboszlai in the previous match against Palace, but Szoboszlai could earn a recall after scoring twice for Hungary during the week.
Summer signing Federico Chiesa may be available again after missing the Palace match but is unlikely to displace Mohamed Salah from the starting lineup. Darwin Nunez will also likely remain on the bench, with Diogo Jota favored to lead the attack.
Cody Gakpo impressed on the left side against Palace but is expected to make way for Luis Diaz, who has scored five goals in seven Premier League appearances this season.
Liverpool: Predicted Lineup
- Goalkeeper – Kelleher
- Defenders – Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson
- Midfielders – Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai
- Forwards – Diaz, Salah, Jota
Chelsea
Enzo Maresca faces a defensive dilemma as Chelsea head to Anfield to face Liverpool on Sunday, with both Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana suspended. After just seven Premier League matches, both players have accumulated five yellow cards, resulting in a one-game ban for this crucial encounter against Arne Slot’s in-form Liverpool side.
Cucurella and Fofana have been mainstays in Chelsea’s defense, starting every league game so far, and Maresca will be frustrated to disrupt a settled backline for such a significant fixture. Tosin Adarabioyo and Axel Disasi are the primary candidates to fill Fofana’s spot at center-back, while Cucurella’s absence could see Renato Veiga shift positions or Ben Chilwell make his first league appearance of the season.
Alternatively, Maresca might opt to move Levi Colwill to left-back, but with Fofana unavailable, this would require a new center-back pairing.
In more positive news, Reece James has returned to full training during the international break and is now available for selection. James, who has struggled with recurring hamstring injuries over the past year and had surgery midway through last season, is yet to feature this term after suffering another setback in pre-season. Given his injury history, Chelsea are likely to adopt a cautious approach, and James may only make the bench for Sunday’s match at Anfield.
Chelsea: Predicted Lineup
- Goalkeeper – Sanchez
- Defenders – Gusto, Tosin, Colwill, Veiga
- Midfielders – Fernandez, Caicedo, Palmer
- Forwards – Madueke, Sancho, Jackson
Liverpool vs Chelsea: Prediction
Sunday’s highly anticipated clash promises to meet expectations, as Chelsea’s relentless attack faces Liverpool’s rock-solid defense, with the latter considered slight favorites.
The absence of key defenders Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella for Chelsea could give Liverpool an edge, especially with a rested Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk leading the charge, as Arne Slot’s men aim to solidify their position at the top of the Premier League.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea
When and Where to Watch the Match? Broadcast & Streaming Details
Liverpool will face Chelsea on Sunday, October 20, with the match set to kick off at 9 PM IST. Star Sports Network holds the broadcasting rights for the 2024-25 Premier League season in India. The game will be aired live on the Star Sports TV channels. Fans can also watch the match via live stream on the Disney+ Hotstar app and website in India.
Read More: England’s Managerial Hunt: Ancelotti and Guardiola Approached Before FA Settled on Thomas Tuchel
When is Liverpool vs Chelsea?
Liverpool will face Chelsea on Sunday, October 20 from p pm (IST) onwards.
