Preview: Liverpool – Chelsea

Both Liverpool and Chelsea's newly appointed managers have enjoyed the spotlight following strong season starts, but neither has faced truly significant tests yet. Liverpool has not encountered any team that finished higher than eighth in last season's Premier League, while Chelsea's only opponent from last season's top 8 has been Manchester City.

Both teams have lost just one game so far. Liverpool suffered a shock home defeat against Nottingham Forest, while Chelsea lost 0-2 to City in the season opener. However, the real challenge now begins for both. In the next month, Liverpool will face four teams currently in the top 6, while Chelsea, after their visit to Anfield this Sunday, will face Newcastle, Manchester United, and Arsenal in quick succession. Thus, we won't have a clear answer to how Slot and Maresca are handling their new jobs until mid-November.

Wolves – Manchester City

Unusual Statistics

The statistics from recent years' encounters between these former fierce rivals are quite peculiar. Eight of their last nine meetings across all competitions have ended in draws, and five of the last seven have ended goalless. Last season's Premier League clash at Anfield was the exception, where Liverpool cruised to a 4-1 win. However, this came during a particularly rough patch for the London club, which also lost 2-4 at home to Wolves in the next round of the league.

Chelsea is expected to offer much tougher opposition this time, especially offensively. Cole Palmer, Noni Madueke, and Nicolas Jackson are all players who can pose a far greater challenge to Liverpool's defense than was the case at Anfield in January. Moreover, Liverpool will be without Alisson Becker to handle anything that gets past their defensive wall this weekend.

Offensive Threats

As mentioned, five of the last seven meetings between these teams have ended goalless, but many believe that won’t be the case on Sunday. Both teams have shown they possess plenty of offensive threats this season. Liverpool has only failed to score in their unexpected loss to Forest, while only Manchester City has scored more goals than Chelsea so far. Madueke and Nicolas Jackson both have four goals this season, but there’s little doubt that Cole Palmer is Chelsea's key offensive player. The former City player recorded 35 goal contributions last season and is on track to match that this season. Eleven goal contributions from seven games make him the top performer in the Premier League this fall.

For Liverpool, the task of finding goals is much more evenly distributed. Diaz, Salah, and Jota are expected to form the starting front trio once again, but Darwin Nunez and particularly Cody Gakpo are excellent alternatives. Van Dijk and Konaté are also formidable weapons on set pieces, while Trent Alexander-Arnold has once again proven during the international break that he possesses a free-kick ability that can be decisive.

From Heavy Metal to Smart Ballad

Liverpool has plenty of offensive options, but it’s defensively where Arne Slot sets himself apart from his predecessor Klopp. Only two goals have been conceded under the Dutchman’s reign, and there are several reasons for this newfound stability. Under Slot’s management, players are no longer recklessly thrown forward to chase more goals. At the same time, Ryan Gravenberch has become the defensive anchor the team had long been searching for. Slot's decision to trust the 22-year-old in the holding midfield role has paid off to an extent no one could have predicted.

The former Ajax talent may not have the tackling strength of Fabinho or Mac Allister, but he doesn’t need it. Gravenberch instead has an excellent understanding of the game, along with the technical ability to navigate tricky situations. By trusting the Dutchman, Liverpool not only saved £100 million on a potential transfer, but also gained a defensive midfielder more elegant than what’s found elsewhere in Europe. Add to that Van Dijk, who has arguably never been better, as a safety net, and it’s no longer surprising that Liverpool concedes so few goals.

Liverpool – Chelsea

Arne Slot is the first Liverpool manager to start his Anfield career with nine wins from his first ten games, but all six Premier League wins have come against teams from the lower half of the table. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker is injured and will be replaced by a fit-again Caoimhin Kelleher. Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, and Kostas Tsimikas are all doubtful.

There’s a lot of focus on Chelsea not having won any of their last nine games against Liverpool, but eight of those nine have ended in draws. Enzo Maresca seems to have things clicking with a squad that has underperformed heavily under his predecessors. Following a strong end to last season, Chelsea has now lost only two of their last 22 Premier League matches. Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella are both suspended, but with Reece James back, the treatment room is finally empty.

Betting Tip

Liverpool won last season's corresponding fixture 4-1, but this was an exception in the teams’ recent meetings. Five of the last seven have ended 0-0, and with a Liverpool side that hardly concedes goals, there’s a belief that there will be few goals on Sunday as well. We hope for an entertaining game with plenty of attacking from both sides, but the betting recommendation is still for under 2.5 goals.