One manager wants to make an impression and another needs to climb out of a downward spiral as Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge for what is always a highly-anticipated clash with Chelsea.
Every week that goes by seems to bring further problems for the reigning champions, languishing in 15th spot on the table with just 11 points taken from the first 10 games. Last weekend’s trip to Upton Park saw a near-meltdown among the team, a red card given to Nemanja Matic sparking an outcry which saw several players cautioned, while Jose Mourinho and one of his assistants were forced to watch the second-half of the match from the stands.
Meanwhile, a new dawn at Anfield has yet to hit full stride following the appointment of Jurgen Klopp as manager just over two weeks ago. A scoreless draw against Tottenham, followed by a pair of 1-1 scorelines against Rubin Kazan in Europe and Southampton may not have been the most spectacular way to welcome the iconic German, yet each showed a new resolve to work hard amongst the players. Klopp recorded his first win at the red helm in a midweek League Cup meeting with Bournemouth and although the 1-0 result left much to be desired, the new fan-favourite has yet to taste defeat in the red tracksuit.
Key Battle – Willian vs Phillipe Coutinho
Unlike years gone past, it is tough to find a name on either recent team sheet that has made any kind of meaningful impact on the 2015-16 season. Liverpool’s key names suffered under the mismanagement of Brendan Rodgers and the once-feared men in blue seem to have lost interest along with confidence.
Though there is one shining light in Mourinho’s underperforming team that consistently keeps the Stamford Bridge faithful thinking that anything is possible. Having cemented his starting spot after leading a comeback from 2-0 down against Newcastle, the Brazilian has been the only player in a Chelsea shirt putting full effort into their title defence. His set-pieces have been superb in recent weeks, shaking the nerves of West Ham late in their encounter last weekend.
With a work rate that also stood out, despite being a part of a midfield line that was disorganised under the previous manager, Phillipe Coutinho continues to be the main generator of Liverpool’s most dangerous moves forward. The playmaker has created one key chance on goal in each of his nine appearances so far, also showing-off his long-range finishing ability back in the opening round.
As neither side can claim a fully-functioning attack heading into this match, expect the work of these two players to really show through in the midfield.
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Team News
Chelsea will have to wait until the last minute to find out whether or not star hitman Diego Costa will be fit for the blockbuster clash, the Spaniard forced off the field against Stoke with a rib injury that is set to be assessed today. First choice goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois remains a long-term absentee, yet replacement Asmir Begovic has been impressive in the Belgian’s absence.
The Merseysiders will gladly welcome back some much-needed firepower of their own in the form of Christian Benteke, who will be rearing to test the leaky defence of the reigning champions with his physical presence inside the box. Daniel Sturridge, Danny Ings, Joe Gomez and captain Jordan Henderson will all watch from the sidelines.
Head-to-head
This weekend will see the 165th meeting of these two English football giants, with Liverpool still holding a slight edge of 70 wins compared to the Blues’ 57 and 37 ending in draws. However, Chelsea has not lost this fixture since 2012 and their last defeat at home to the Reds came in 2011.
Previous meeting
Liverpool provided one of the last hurdles between Chelsea and last season’s Premier League title back in early May. A 1-1 draw was enough of a result for Mourinho and capped-off a poor late 2014-15 for Brendan Rodgers, goals coming from John Terry and Steven Gerrard.
Prediction
With the Klopp mentality beginning to embed its roots among the Liverpool team, the Merseysiders will want to erase some bad recent memories surrounding Chelsea and there is no better stage than Stamford Bridge for Klopp to record his first Premier League win. Desperate to halt their tumble down the mountain though, Mourinho and his men will provide the sternest test the new Liverpool manager has faced and always have the quality present to take a result. Expect a tactical battle which will either result in goals-galore, or a low-scoring stalemate.
Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1
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