Liverpool host Chelsea this Sunday in a mouthwatering Premier League encounter.
The Reds are currently top of the Premier League after a sublime start to life under Arne Slot.
Under the Dutchman, Liverpool have won all but one league game, but they now start a difficult run of fixtures, which could make or break their season.
Meanwhile, Chelsea are unbeaten in all competitions since the opening weekend when they were beaten by Manchester City.
Enzo Maresca managed to trim his bloated squad in the summer, and he now has a core group of players.
The Blues have conceded plenty of avoidable goals, but they look very dangerous in attack and will cause Liverpool problems.
Liverpool vs Chelsea: The red wall
Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp were often full-on, attacking and entertaining, but defensively, they could be suspect.
It’s early days, but the Reds under Slot look better defensively and are often in more control.
Ibrahima Konate has been brilliant alongside Virgil van Dijk, helping Liverpool to the best defensive record of the season so far.
They’ve only conceded two goals in the Premier League, but Chelsea’s attacking talent will no doubt test that.
The Blues boast an array of options in the forward areas, so a clean sheet here would perhaps show to everyone that Liverpool have changed and are officially a better defensive side.
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- Liverpool are unbeaten in their last six Premier League meetings with Chelsea, though five of these have ended level (W1).
- Chelsea have won just one of their last nine Premier League away games against Liverpool (D5 L3), going down 4-1 in this exact fixture last season.
- Having lost three consecutive league games against Chelsea between 2013 and 2014, Liverpool have now lost just two of their last 19 against the Blues (W7 D10).
Liverpool vs Chelsea: Date and how to follow
This Premier League game is set to take place on Sunday, October 20.
Kick-off at Anfield is scheduled for 4:30pm.
The match will be broadcast on Sky Sports Main Event and Premier League.
Sky Go customers will be able to watch the action via their laptops or mobile devices.
Alternatively, fans can purchase a NOW TV one-day pass.
talkSPORT will have updates throughout, while talkSPORT.com will have all the action via our dedicated Premier League blog.
To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
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- Liverpool have conceded the fewest goals (2), kept the most clean sheets (5), and have the lowest expected goals against figure (5.2) of any side in the Premier League this season. Meanwhile, only Manchester City (17) have scored more goals than Chelsea (16) in the division this term, and only Tottenham boast a higher xG (15.0) than the Blues (14.7).
- Along with Liverpool, Chelsea are one of two sides with a 100% away win rate in the Premier League this season (3/3). Only in 2005-06 (4) and 2008-09 (8) have the Blues ever won their opening four away matches of a league season.
- In the 266 minutes Liverpool’s Premier League games have been level on the scoreline this season, the Reds have faced just 16 shots, an average of 5.4 per 90. This is both the lowest total faced and per 90 faced when drawing of any side in the competition this term.
Liverpool vs Chelsea: Team news
The hosts will be without Alisson Becker, who faces at least six weeks out with a hamstring injury.
The Brazilian international suffered the problem during the Reds’ 1-0 win over Crystal Palace when he went to clear the ball.
In his place, Caoimhin Kelleher will come into the team.
Federico Chiesa will be assessed closer to the time, but Harvey Elliott is out with a fractured foot.
For the visitors, Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana are banned after accumulating five yellow cards already.
That means there will have to be a defensive reshuffle, with Tosin Adarabioyo and Renato Veiga in line to feature.
Reece James is back in training, but he’s unlikely to play any part.
But apart from that, Chelsea pretty much have a full squad to pick from.
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- Chelsea’s Enzo Maresca is looking to become only the fifth manager to win each of his first four away Premier League games, with one of the previous four to do so being his counterpart in this match, Liverpool’s Arne Slot (also Bobby Gould, John Gregory, and Luiz Felipe Scolari).
- Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah has four goals in 13 Premier League games against former side Chelsea, averaging a goal every 257 minutes against the Blues. Among opponents he has played 10+ times in the competition, only against Burnley (778) does he have a poorer mins-per-goal rate.
- Only Dominic Solanke (24) has made more targeted runs into the box in the Premier League this season than Liverpool’s Diogo Jota (22). The Portuguese forward has 11 goal involvements in his last 12 league starts (7 goals, 4 assists), and five in his last six at Anfield (4 goals, 1 assist).
- Chelsea pair Cole Palmer (11) and Noni Madueke (4) have created 15 chances for each other in the Premier League this season, the most of any duo. Indeed, Palmer’s four assists for Madueke is also the most from one player for a teammate so far this term.
Liverpool vs Chelsea: What has been said?
Maresca has hailed Cheslea and England star Cole Palmer after he won the Premier League Player of the Month award for September.
The Blues boss said: “He is winning so many trophies in this moment so this is one more!
“The best thing he has is that these kinds of awards are not going to change him and he is always the same guy – humble. He enjoys football like a kid. This is the best thing for him.
“You can see how much he enjoys his football. He is like a kid, he always wants the ball, to play and to enjoy. He is so happy.
“You can see in sessions, he is always one of the first around the ball and wants the ball. It is the main point.
“He can play in different positions for us because he is so good on the ball. He can play wide, in the middle, as a nine.
“We try to use him in one position at the moment in the middle of the pitch but it depends a little bit on the game plan we have and sometimes we move him wide a little bit like he did many times against Brighton.
“We try to give him the opportunity to enjoy his football because, with him, that is the main thing.”
