Premier League: Liverpool vs Chelsea [March 4]

Thomas Tuchel takes his newly invigorated Chelsea side to Anfield to take on the current champions, and struggling Liverpool on Thursday, in what is a game between two teams with very drastic differences in form.

Liverpool vs Chelsea

After being unbeaten at home for two years, Liverpool has now lost their last four at their famous ground.

It’s cause for concern for the champions as this form has seen them slip down to 6th in the Premier League, one point behind Chelsea leading into this one. The top four will now be the goal for Liverpool as they’ve all but conceded the league title, but they still have a lot of challenges ahead starting with this one.

They must get back to winning ways at home and making Anfield the fortress it was, but that is easier said than done. Chelsea are in form, and it’ll be another tough ask for the Liverpool backline to cope with the forwards and pace that Chelsea possesses, but Fabinho and Allison should be available which gives a much-needed boost to the side [1].

Liverpool is no doubt suffering from their injuries, but it’s been more than that. Players like Thiago and Firmino haven’t performed well enough this season and they should still be comfortable against a lot of the teams that are giving them problems. They have talent all throughout their side, and injuries alone can’t be the reason for their current dip or position in the league.

There’s something more than that, and it’s not clicked this season for them to go on and build on the success of the last two years. Each game is becoming a must-win if they are to challenge for Champions League spots, because it isn’t a given this year with teams like West Ham and Aston Villa performing well above expectations. They could turn things around with a win here, in what is a must-win game.

Chelsea is enjoying life under their new manager, and are unbeaten since his introduction in late January.

There is always a good bounce from a team when a new manager takes over, so whether this is exactly that or more, remains to be seen. They should be looking at this game with confidence that they can take all 3 points, add even more hurt to Liverpool, and pull away from them in the league.

Every game is unpredictable in this strange season, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if either side won the game, but it is a massive game in terms of where the league is at the moment.

A few top teams will have to miss out on Champions League football next season, with Man City likely finishing top of the league, there are only three other spots for Champions League football.

Chelsea on current form will be one of those three teams that take a spot, and a win here would go a long way as it will setback another big team challenging for the same things. There is still a lot of improvement to come from this team, as a few draws have given them their own little setback despite how well they’re performing at the minute, in the league, and in Europe.

The return of Thiago Silva will be welcomed back, as he brings leadership to the entire team, while Hudson-Odoi is also available for selection [2]. There is definitely a recipe for success at Chelsea with the squad they have and with a top-quality manager in Tuchel, they should only be looking to move upwards.

Prediction: Goals under 2.5

This could land here. Only one of Thomas Tuchel’s games since joining Chelsea has gone over 2.5 goals and given that games between the “top teams” of the league have been boring so far, with a lot of low-scoring games, it has every chance to happen.

There’s almost a fear from teams to really go and grab all three points, especially when two top sides meet. It’s hard to predict what will happen, as both teams need the win, but likely not willing to take a lot of risks to get the win due to it potentially backfiring.