Liverpool vs Chelsea

Anfield sets the stage for a mouth-watering Premier League encounter between Liverpool and Chelsea.

Long-serving Liverpool manager stunned world football last week when he announced he’d cut short his nine-year association with the Anfield club at the end of the season. However, the German’s shocking announcement didn’t hinder the ‘Reds’ momentum as they thumped Norwich City 5-2 in FA Cup action to extend their unbeaten run to ten matches across all competitions (W7, D3). Vying for his 200th managerial victory in the Premier League, Klopp can rely on Liverpool’s aura of invincibility at Anfield, which has seen them tally a jaw-dropping 15 wins in their 17 competitive home outings in 2023/24 (D2). However, Liverpool’s last seven encounters against Chelsea have ended level after 90 minutes, making up the longest streak of draws between two top-flight sides in English football history.

Visiting Chelsea perhaps wouldn’t mind sharing the spoils again, as they did in a tepid 0-0 FA Cup draw against Aston Villa last weekend. But inspired by a three-game winning streak in the Premier League, Mauricio Pochettino’s men could seek a more favorable outcome to escape a mid-table lethargy and potentially reduce a substantial 12-point deficit on fourth-placed Villa. Capable of thriving in tight environments, Chelsea’s last three league wins have yielded a single-goal margin, including a nail-biting 3-2 victory at Luton Town on their most recent Premier League travel. That result halted the visitors’ disheartening four-game losing league run on hostile turf but marked their fifth consecutive top-flight away fixture in which they conceded at least two goals. Pochettino will have an added motive to silence Anfield as he bids to beat Klopp for only the second time in his managerial career (W1, D5, L6).