Written by InhaleSports Contributor Josh Mason
Second placed Chelsea take on sixth placed Liverpool in what is probably the marquee match of the weekend; so naturally they would play it on a Friday night. Chelsea are coming off a draw against Swansea in which they created oodles of chances that didn’t get converted, and then saw themselves fall behind thanks to a non-called foul on Gary Cahill which he later claimed “you could see from the moon, or row Z”; slight distance between the two, Gary, but we get the point. They were then bailed out by a Diego Costa bicycle kick in the last 5 minutes. Speaking of which, no one in Europe has won more points from games in the last 5 minutes this season, than Chelsea.
Going into the game they are without the injured captain, leader, legend John Terry due to an ankle injury, meaning the maverick that is David Luiz, will replace him. Going forward it is likely to be the same story, with Matic and Kante anchoring the midfield and Oscar, Hazard, Willian and Costa the attacking quartet that has served them so well thus far. Look for an effective cameo from Michy Batshuayi who has played well coming off the bench this season.
Liverpool morale should be high after their 4-1 thrashing of Leicester at the newly enlarged Anfield. Scoring four against one of last year’s best defenses is no easy task, and the result could have been even better had Henderson not missed a sitter, and Leicester not scored off the perfect square ball from Lucas Leiva (seriously, the ball was a peach, just for the wrong team). The only changes that could come into play is Dejan Lovren returning to the back line in place of the aforementioned Lucas (unlucky Chelsea fans), and Coutinho in the midfield.
Like Chelsea, the weakness of this team stems from the back. Though Clyne is solid on the right, they rely on utility man James Milner at left back, who actually hasn’t played too poorly. Going forward though is where the real talent is. The line up will likely consist of three from Mane, Sturridge, Coutinho, and Firmino and also the surprisingly effective Adam Lallana. Last year there were questions surrounding whether he would even stick around Merseyside for the new season, but he has looked phenomenal since the abysmal England summer campaign in France.
This should be a really exciting matchup and the first real test of new Chelsea boss Antonio Conte. Liverpool have already played Spurs away, drawing 1-1 in a game they probably should have won, and have looked strong in every game. Even in the game against Burnley they had 80% of the possession, despite managing to lose 2-0. Chelsea are definitely the favourites going into this match, with an undefeated record and the knowledge that Conte knows how to set up a defense, but Liverpool has the capacity to destroy the Chelsea back four with its free flowing forward line which has scored the most goals in the Premier League in 2016, with 50. Branislav Ivanovic’s ability to keep pace for 90 minutes might be the difference between a win and an absolute battering for Conte’s men.
This game will be a good indicator of which of these teams could be pushing United and City toward the end of the year, and which one will simply be a supporting act.
Key players to watch:
Diego Costa- Playing on the edge of eruption is his forte, but he definitely toes the line and has previous with Liverpool. Many would argue that he should have been sent off in the last 3 games for second bookings, but when he has stayed on the field, he has gotten on the score sheet. It would not surprise me to see him score and sent off.
Sadio Mane- The summer signing seemed a bit overpriced to me, but every time I have watched him this season he has been in the right place at the right time, and lucky not to have more goals. If he moves across the front line, his matchup against Ivanovic could break any chance Chelsea gets of winning; the boy is rapid.
Prediction: 2-2
