Chelsea and Liverpool lock horns in one of the standout fixtures of the Premier League weekend, Both giants of English football arrive under pressure after a string of disappointing results in league and European competition, setting the stage for a tense battle at Stamford Bridge,Softfootball reports.
Enzo Marseca’s Chelsea edged past Benfica 1-0 in midweek Champions League action, but that victory owed more to an own goal than attacking brilliance. The win offered little comfort after back-to-back league defeats, leaving the Blues on a three-game winless run in the Premier League and already seven points adrift of Sunday’s visitors.
Stamford Bridge remains a relative stronghold, however, with Chelsea losing just twice in their last 18 home outings across all competitions. They’ll need that resilience now, as another defeat would mark three straight league losses for the first time since May 2023.
Liverpool, meanwhile, are experiencing one of their rarest dips under Arne Slot. After a last-gasp 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace, their first failure to win this season, the Reds slipped again with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League.
More than the results, it’s the lack of spark in their recent displays that will concern supporters. Softfootball understands Liverpool will need to shake off their London curse too, having lost their last three Premier League trips to the capital.
History between these two sides adds more spice to the encounter. Chelsea broke a ten match winless streak against Liverpool last season with a 3-1 victory at Stamford Bridge, and now have the chance to record back-to-back home league wins over the Reds for the first time since 2006.
Team News
Chelsea could look to João Pedro for inspiration, despite his red card in midweek. The forward has been a reliable scorer at home, with five of his last six Premier League strikes coming at Stamford Bridge. Defensive issues persist for the Blues, with Cole Palmer sidelined and Trevoh Chalobah suspended after last week’s sending-off.
Meanwhile, the Blues are still in celebatory mood after bouncing back from back to back defeat and will be hoping to take this win as a morale booster to the match against PL leaders Liverpool on saturday, Chelsea via its official X handle shared highlights of the player of the match Marc Cucurella, the team and supporters will be hoping he can replicate this monster performance against a much tougher opponent in a must win match on saturday, watch video below;
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk will be tasked with marshaling the backline, but he could also pose a late attacking threat. The Dutchman has scored in each of the last two seasons against Chelsea, with all four of his most recent Liverpool goals arriving after the 80th minute. However, the Reds have injury worries of their own, with both Alisson and Hugo Ekitike forced off in midweek.
Possible lineups
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Sanchez; James, Chalobah, Badiashile, Cucurella; Fernandez, Caicedo; Estevao, Pedro Neto; Pedro
Liverpool possible starting lineup: Mamardashvili ; Frimpong, Gomez, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Jones; Gakpo, Wirtz, Salah; Isak
Interestingly, Liverpool have enjoyed a perfect start to the season bar the last few weeks where they have suffered back to back losses, that been said Liverpool players have scored outstanding goals in dramatic wins and comebacks, Liverpool via its official X handle, posted an exclusive video of the september goals of the month contenders , giving the Reds fans an opportunity to vote for their favorite goal as Liverpool will be desperate for more goals to come when they take on Chelsea this weekend, watch video below:
SoftFootball’s Prediction
Both sides come into this game with bruised confidence, but Chelsea’s solid home record and Liverpool’s recent struggles in London point towards an evenly matched contest. Expect late drama, with both sides trading blows but neither fully pulling clear.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Liverpool
