Chelsea vs Liverpool Preview: Team News, H2H, early injury news, probable lineups, tickets, odds and more

The evening kickoff on Saturday couldn't be more important to the two sides in desperate need of a win for different reasons. Under-fire Chelsea host rusty Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in what appears to be an early Premier League classic.

Chelsea appear to be in what could be called a first injury crisis of the season, as their centre-back options are decimated. Coupled with their dire form in the league, where they picked only one point of the available 9, Enzo Maresca's side are a defeat away from pressure mounting on all fronts. The Blues managed to just beat Benfica in the Champions League midweek, but were on the receiving end of two crushing defeats at the hands of Brighton and Manchester United in the league. Maresca's bloated squad, which has a massive difference in quality, is struggling to step up when needed. His poor record against the big-6 sides is also another concerning issue. With the odds against them, the Italian has to pull off a heist with a brilliant tactical plan.

Chelsea's silver lining ahead of this clash would be the fair share of troubles faced by their opponents. Liverpool managed to paper over the cracks with late winners this season, but the lacklustre performances caught up to Arne Slot's men as they suffered back-to-back defeats in all competitions. Crystal Palace ended Liverpool's winning start to the season by scoring a late winner on the weekend. The Reds were clueless in Istanbul against Galatasaray midweek as they chased the game for 70 minutes but failed to get an equaliser. Integrating big-money signings he wanted into the squad has become a tactical nightmare for the Dutch manager, who hopes to find the right balance between control and chaos. The Reds haven't won at Stamford Bridge since 2020, and anything less than a win on Saturday would lead to two weeks of dissections over every minute detail as the league pauses for an international break.

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Chelsea vs Liverpool last-minute tickets: how to buy

Stamford Bridge will be buzzing when Liverpool visits as the Blues faithful flock to the ground. If you want to grab some last-minute tickets, our favourite reseller, StubHub, is your best bet.

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How to watch Chelsea vs Liverpool online - TV channels & live streams

Sky Sports will air the game in the UK as the Main Event, given its importance in the early league season. For the fans in the US, the game will be aired on NBC and Universo. It can be streamed on Peacock and our favourite streaming service, Fubo, in the US and Canada.

How to watch Chelsea vs Liverpool worldwide

The biggest fixture of the Premier League weekend will draw the attention of the world. Here is how you could watch the Chelsea vs Liverpool clash worldwide.

Country/RegionBroadcasterCanadaFuboUKSky Sports, Discovery+AustraliaStan SportIndiaStar SportsMENAbeIN SportsSouth AmericaESPN / Disney+AfricaSuperSport

How to watch anywhere with a VPN

If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sports.

Chelsea vs Liverpool Key Matchups

Jorrel Hato vs Alexander Isak - Hato was the subject of Liverpool's transfer interest for quite some time, but made the switch to Chelsea. This will be the biggest test Hato will be facing all season, as his match fitness and sharpness will be tested. The young centre-back will be in the firing line as he will be facing Liverpool's Isak, looking for a first league goal. The Swedish striker looked lost on the field against Palace as he had just six touches in the first half. It will be a matter of finding Isak more to threaten the opposition.

Marc Cucurella vs Mohamed Salah - Cucurella makes life difficult for Salah whenever they go against each other. Salah has only one goal against the fullback in 360 minutes of action. The Spaniard can either tuck in as a centre-back or defend out wide. With Salah playing wider than usual, the battle has even more importance. Cucurella would be tempted to bomb forward and hurt Salah's tracking back, which has slowed down.

Moises Caicedo vs Florian Wirtz - Caicedo has started the season in excellent form, but he has had a difficult last couple of big games. He will be firmly under the microscope as another big-money clash awaits. Wirtz has struggled to show glimpses of his Bayer Leverkusen form and has been under fire from all sections. The German midfielder is struggling to adapt to the intensity of the league, and in Caicedo, he will be up against one of the best tacklers and ball winners. Can the silky midfielder catch life this weekend by gliding away from the tight grasp of Caicedo?

Chelsea vs Liverpool Prediction

Both Chelsea and Liverpool believe in playing high-intensity football. Slot has abandoned the pragmatic approach he used in big games last season to play an aggressive brand of football. The result was incredibly open-ended games where there were chances for both sides. Expect both sides to have plenty of chances and only a few of them to be taken. Both sides will feel as if two points were dropped instead of a point gained after the full-time whistle.

GOAL's Prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool

Chelsea vs Liverpool Odds

Liverpool enters the game as the slight favourites according to the bookmaker. A positive result in Liverpool's favour is priced at 11/8. Chelsea's win is priced at 19/10, and a draw has excellent returns priced at 15/4.

Chelsea vs Liverpool kick-off time

Stamford Bridge will host the game at 17:30 BST / 18:30 CET / 12:30 ET on Saturday, October 4th.

Chelsea vs Liverpool Team news & squads

Chelsea team news

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Chelsea are missing plenty of senior centre-backs, and to make matters worse, Trevoh Chalobah, who has been their best player in defence so far, has picked up a red card against Brighton. It will force Maresca to pair up one of Hato or Benoit Badiashile with Josh Acheampong. Cole Palmer's continued absence means Facundo Buonanotte will get another chance to impress as the number 10. Joao Pedro's European suspension doesn't apply to the Premier League, thankfully for Maresca. Alejandro Garnacho would hope to continue in the lineup and make an impact against the Reds. There are no new returnees from the injury room.

Predicted Lineup: Sanchez; James, Badiashile, Hato, Cucurella; Caicedo, Fernandez; Neto, Buonanotte, Garnacho; Pedro

Liverpool team news

Getty Images

Liverpool picked up two new injuries from the midweek clash, and it would cost them dearly. Slot confirmed goalkeeper Alisson Becker was ruled out of the weekend clash as he awaits the results of the scans to lay out a timeline. It means Giorgi Mamardashvili will be lining up between the sticks for his league debut for the club. Slot also has to contend with Hugo Ekitike's injury, which might restrict him to a cameo off the bench. Federico Chiesa might also miss the game due to a niggle. It leaves the manager to take hard calls in midfield and attack as the side struggles for fluency.

Predicted Lineup: Mamardashvili; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Szoboszlai; Salah, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak

Form

Head-to-Head Record

The Last Meeting

Liverpool were celebrating their 20th league title when they walked into Stamford Bridge in May. The Reds were hungover from all the partying as they first received a generous guard of honour from Chelsea, before later being served a thrashing. Enzo Fernandez opened the scoring after a trademark darting run into the box just after three minutes. The Reds were battered all game long before Jarell Quansah put one into his own net to make it 2-0. Virgil van Dijk grabbed a consolation in the 85th minute before Palmer scored a late penalty to seal all three points for Chelsea and consolidate their top-four charge.

Standings

Useful links

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