Stamford Bridge will be the centre of attention as two teams with intense rivalry in recent years go head-to-head in search of points today.
Games between Chelsea and Liverpool are usually big occasions, be they in Europe or England, and this one will be no different, with both teams suffering midweek defeats in the Champions League and looking for a response.
It will be a chance for Chelsea to knock-off the team in first place, something they’re specialists at, after doing it 18 times, the most in Premier League history and the 2-2 draw between both teams in the Super Cup showed that Chelsea are able to match the European champions.
Jurgen Klopp’s side have a five-point lead at the top of the Premier League and will be hopeful of maintaining their 100% record. Having come ever so close to their first top flight title since 1990, Liverpool have rocketed off the line this season and will be looking to keep the throttle wide open, knowing that every little point will be crucial in their own little two-team league with Manchester City.
For Chelsea, it’s a matter of keeping touch with the top end of the table, which has a glut of teams all with decent, but far from stellar, starts to the season — coming into the weekend, only three points separated 3rd place from 16th, with all four of the remaining top six from last season level on 8 points (and Spurs already losing this weekend).
Chelsea’s injury situation is getting better, but not quite quickly enough with Emerson and Antonio Rüdiger still sidelined, N’Golo Kanté and Mason Mount facing late fitness tests, and Callum Hudson-Odoi and Reece James not yet match fit.
Coming off a 2-0 defeat in Naples, Klopp’s side will be looking to avoid back-to-back defeats — uncommon as they may be, Liverpool did lose twice in a row at the start of the calendar year. And before then, in the dying moment of the 2017-18 Premier League, Conte’s Chelsea beat Liverpool at the Bridge, after they had lost to AS Roma a few days before.
