Chelsea vs Liverpool is an encounter many people are not ready for especially the new signings of both teams. But it is already here. The match will take place at Stamford Bridge at 16:30 today.
Chelsea vs Liverpool is one of the hottest fixtures of the 2020-2021 season because the two teams have shown a lot of promise especially Chelsea which has been the most active club in this summer transfer market in Europe.
Chelsea’s manager, Frank Lampard has assembled some of the best legs in Europe at Chelsea which has made the club looks like a title contender. But like Liverpool, the defending champions of the Premier League, most of Lampard’s new recruits are still trying to settle in.
Recall that Chelsea landed Timo Werner, Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell, Kai Havertz, Thiago Silva, Xavier Mbuyamba, and a new goalkeeper Edouard Mendy this summer. But among all those players, only Timo Werner and Kai Havertz have been confirmed available for the match.
Liverpool also have new recruits. The biggest of them is Spain international Thiago Alcantara who joined the club from Bayern Munich a few days ago. They have also added Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas. However, the most likely signing who could be available for the match is Tsimikas who just recovered from a coronavirus infection.
Based on this, Jurgen Klopp, the manager of Liverpool is expected to sting with his regulars as he continues to find a way to inculcate midfield maestro Thiago Alcantara to his team’s set up.
Chelsea vs Liverpool: previous meeting
The last time Chelsea and Liverpool met was on July 22, 2020, in a Premier League 8 goals thriller. Liverpool ran away from the win after scoring five goals against Chelsea’s three goals.
Such a nail-biting performance could be reignited tonight especially now that Chelsea have Timo Werner and Kai Havertz who were among the best players in the German Bundesliga last season.
Based on their first match of the 2020-2021 season which Chelsea won 3-1 against Brighton while Liverpool won 4-3 against Leeds, tonight’s game could produce a lot of goals and could go either way. However, Klopp might want to settle for defensive play and wait for Chelsea to make a mistake and finish them through counter-attacks using his pacing wingers.
One thing that almost took the shine off the last meeting between Chelsea and Liverpool was the sideline drama between Klopp and Lampard. Hence, football fans will not only watch the action on the pitch, they will pay close attention to what could happen on the sideline between the two managers.
Team News – Chelsea
Frank Lampard has confirmed that his new signing Timo Werner would be available for tonight’s game. There was fear that he would not be fully fit for the match due to the knock he suffered in Chelsea’s encounter with Brighton.
Also, Mateo Kovacic who was not available for Brighton’s game as he was serving the red card he received during last season’s FA Cup final against Arsenal, is now available and could be in action tonight.
On the other hand, Chelsea’s fans should not expect to see Ben Chilwell, Hakim Ziyech, and Thiago Silva in action yet. Lampard has confirmed that the club is still working on their match fitness.
Chelsea probable lineup:
Kepa; James, Rudiger, Zouma, Azpilicueta; Kante, Kovacic; Hudson-Odoi, Havertz, Mount; Werner
Team News – Liverpool
Liverpool’s new signing Kostas Tsimikas has fully recovered from COVID-19 and he is available for selection. But Thiago will not be available for the match since he has not trained with the team.
Xherdan Shaqiri and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are not likely to be fit enough for the match. However, Fabinho is likely to return to the heart of Liverpool’s team tonight.
Liverpool probable lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Henderson, Fabinho, Keita; Salah, Firmino, Mane
