Chelsea is hosting Liverpool this Saturday in a match for the 7th round of the Premier League at Stamford Bridge.
Facts
- Chelsea is unbeaten at home against Liverpool since September 2020 (0-2 loss). Since then, they have drawn three matches and won one, with the win coming last May (3-1), ending a ten-game streak without a victory over the Reds.
- All of the last four duels between the two in the Premier League saw both teams scoring (14 total goals).
- Enzo Maresca has faced Liverpool thrice as a manager (Leicester and Chelsea boss), and over 2.5 goals were scored in all three occasions.
Betting Tip: Chelsea – Liverpool
Neither team is at peak form, while both expended a lot of energy in their midweek matches. They both have defensive problems at times, though Chelsea’s injury problems and Liverpool’s attacking quality give the advantage to the Reds.
- Recommendation: Liverpool to win or draw & BTTS
- Odds: 1.83 (at the time of writing)
- Stake: 4
Chelsea
Chelsea suffered a 3-1 comeback defeat at home against Brighton in a rather intense game. The start of the game did not foretell what was to come later. The Blues began the game in dominant fashion, creating at least three big chances to score before doing so in the 24th minute of the game with Enzo’s header.
They continued to create chances and to limit Brighton, yet everything changed in the 49th minute with Chalobah’s sending off. Brighton’s resurgence meant the game shifted rapidly. Chelsea conceded an equaliser in the 77th minute, while two stoppage time goals capped off a rather unpleasant afternoon.
Chelsea are now in 8th place, though there is a lot of grumbling around the team. Two consecutive league defeats came in a similar fashion, as a result of red cards, yet they have brought scrutiny towards manager Enzo Maresca, including rumours of job insecurity.
The board was quick to dismiss any such rumours and publicly backed the Italian manager. Still, the team has simply not performed according to expectations.
The defence appears vulnerable, while injury problems (including that to star attacking midfielder Cole Palmer) have hampered the team, alongside the added fatigue from Champions League football.
Liverpool
Liverpool left Selhurst Park defeated, having suffered an upset loss to Crystal Palace in dramatic fashion. The Reds were really poor for the vast majority of the game, conceding an early goal in the 9th minute and could have conceded more, if not for goalkeeper Alisson’s saves.
Even though they were not meaningfully better in the second, they still managed to grab an equaliser in the 87th minute through Chiesa’s goal. The draw was not meant to last, and Palace secured a dramatic last-second winner.
It was Liverpool’s first defeat of the season, though the Reds are still leading the title race. Controversially, Arne Slot’s post-game comments about a single player’s irresponsibility have brought clouds over the hitherto idyllic atmosphere around the club.
Truth be told, the team simply has not performed up to their standards recently. Despite scoring with remarkable consistency, they have a lot of poor stretches and defensive issues. The added workload of Champions League football is certainly not helping either, especially after the defeat from Galatasaray.
