Liverpool vs. Chelsea Preview And Stats – Round 8
Liverpool and Chelsea will face their first proper test after the international break. Both teams had an excellent start of the season. Arne Slot is the first Liverpool manager to win nine out of his first ten games on the bench. Enzo Maresca had an immediate impact at Chelsea with a debut that was contrasting to last year’s performances for the blues.
One thing is common for both teams. They have faced no proper test. Chelsea played against Manchester City in their debut game, which ended in a 2-0 loss, their only one so far. Other than Manchester City, all of their games were against more accessible teams. Liverpool also had a favorable start, with their only significant challenge coming from Manchester United, who is currently not in substantial form.
With both teams under new managers, this game marks their first actual test. Here are the main talking points ahead of this game!
Liverpool vs. Chelsea Standings and Form
Liverpool is the Premier League leader ahead of Round 8, sitting at the top of the table with 18 points, one point ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal. Liverpool has suffered only one loss, against Nottingham Forrest and no draws in the Premier League.
Chelsea is in amazing form as well. The Blues’ only loss came against Manchester City in their debut. After this, Chelsea won four games and draw two. Chelsea is now standing in the fourth spot of the table with 14 points.
Statistics and Head to Head
History favours Liverpool in this encounter. The Reds have not lost in their last 9 consecutive games against the Londoners, and the most common result between those two teams is a draw. The last time Chelsea visited Anfield, it did not end well. Liverpool got an echoing 4-1 win, while they also broke Chelsea’s trophies aspirations with a last-minute goal in the EFL cup final signed by Virgil van Dijk.
Apart from that 4-1 win, their last games are not a goal fest. The last six games ended with under 2,5 goals, and there is not much hope to see many corners, as they also ended with under 10,5 corners. Chelsea averages just 5,7 corners per game, while Liverpool stands at 7.
Chelsea has better stats in terms of goals scored, with 2,3 per game, while they are shooting less overall and are creating fewer big chances than Liverpool. Mohamed Salah handles many of those big chances, as the Egyptian has 27 carries in the penalty area, the most in the league, while also having 4 goals and 4 assists. Cole Palmer is even better in those areas, with 5 goals and 6 assists, making him the Premier League leader in Goals+Assists.
Chelsea’s Staffing Issues and Suspensions
Chelsea has a big selection problem in this game. I know, seems unlikely for a team with their squad depth. Enzo Maresca needs to decide on who to deploy instead of Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana. Both have already accumulated 5 yellow cards this season and are suspended for this game.
Maresca should have no trouble finding a suitable replacement for Wesley Fofana, but things are more complicated with Marc Cucurella. For the centre-back position, Maresca could opt for Axel Disasi, Benoît Badiashile or Tosin Adarabioyo. He lacks options for the left-back role. His only possibility is Renato Veiga, who substituted Cucurella.
This is also a challenging position to play against Liverpool, as Mohamed Salah operates on Liverpool’s right wing. He adopts a position high up in the pitch, being the most advanced player. He is the major outlet for counter attacks and has speed and technicality. Extra care will be required from Veiga in this game.
Tactical Preview
Both Chelsea and Liverpool are teams who are looking to dominate and control the game. Their aim is to have as much of the ball as possible and dictate the tempo. Although both teams like to build up from the back, Chelsea might have a hard time to do so. Liverpool employs a high-intensity pressing, while Chelsea prefers a more passive approach when contesting the opponent’s build-up, with Nicolas Jackson and Cole Palmer adopting more advanced positions.
This might be a good thing for The Blues, as it might limit Ryan Gravenberch’s influence. Liverpool’s midfielder is brilliant in breaking the press with his carries and exploiting the space left behind by high defensive and midfield lines. Yet Chelsea face another problem, as they struggle to defend against technical players, and Marc Cucurella’s absence on Chelsea’s left wing might prove to be an enormous opportunity for Liverpool. Chelsea had some troubles with individual errors as well, and with fouling in dangerous areas, and Liverpool’s pressing will challenge them and try to force them to do just that.
Set pieces might prove key. Although Chelsea are the least dangerous team in the league for set pieces, you cannot say the same against Liverpool. The Reds have both Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, who excel in aerial duels. Liverpool wins an average of 14,9 aerial duels in a game, making them the third best team at that.
The Reds need to watch out for Chelsea counter attacks. They are by far one of the best teams in this area and look to attack as a wolf pack when they catch their opponents off guard. Nicolas Jackson, Cole Palmer and Noni Madueke spearhead Chelsea’s speedy counters and only Tottenham scores on average more goals from counter attacking situations, while Chelsea are the top team in the league for generating shots from counter attacks.
Conclusions
This is one of the most exciting games to watch in the 8th round of the Premier League. Both teams will look to keep up their excellent form and test their squads and managers. Arne Slot has had success so far, but will he be able to keep up the streak against one of the top five teams in the league? Enzo Maresca already declared that Chelsea is not yet up to compete with teams such as Manchester City and Arsenal and basically ruled his team out of the title race. This does not mean that he will not try to get a win against Liverpool.
Liverpool comes into this game as heavy favourites. The OPTA Supercomputer gives them a 59,3% chance to get a win in this encounter. This does not rule out Chelsea, as we already know they are more than capable of surprising everyone.
