This article is part of our Soccer Picks series.
Liverpool and Chelsea meet Sunday at Anfield for their 198th all-time meeting.
The clash is a match of two new managers in Arne Slot and Enzo Maresca, setting the stage for a historically entertaining fixture.
Premier League Predicted & Confirmed Lineups
Premier League Schedule and Fixture Difficulty Ranker
Liverpool have begun the campaign with a solidified shape, as Slot seems to minimize rotation where possible. The Reds have started the same individuals in their back four and the same two holding midfielders in each of their seven Premier League matches, propelling them to the best defensive record, allowing just two goals.
Maresca and Chelsea's contingent of young talent will approach this match with confidence, having gone unbeaten in their last seven matches (five wins, two draws). Maresca has featured two separate starting XI units this season: one for Premier League fixtures and one for non-league matches. Expect Maresca to prioritize his best ball-playing defenders Sunday to best absorb the Liverpool press.
Liverpool finished third in the 2023/2024 Premier League table, 19 points ahead of sixth-place Chelsea.
HEAD TO HEAD
Liverpool and Chelsea have met on 197 occasions. Liverpool lead the all-time matchup with 86 wins, 46 draws and 65 losses.
During the 2023/2024 campaign, Liverpool and Chelsea drew 1-1 at Stamford Bridge before Liverpool defeated the Blues 4-1 at Anfield and 1-0 in the League Cup final.
ODDS
Moneyline
DraftKings: LIV -165 Draw +330, CHE +380 (PROMO CODE)
FanDuel: LIV -155 Draw +320, CHE +390 (PROMO CODE)
Bet365: LIV -154 Draw +310, CHE +400 (BONUS CODE)
BetMGM: LIV -150 Draw +333, CHE +350 (BONUS CODE)
FORMATIONS
Liverpool have employed a base 4-2-3-1 under manager Slot with the trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai in the three central midfield spots.
When in possession, expect Liverpool to utilize Trent Alexander-Arnold or Andrew Robertson as an inverted full-back. When this occurs, superstar Mohamed Salah will push in from the wing to a more central-right area where he can pick up the ball in pockets between compressed lines.
When dispossessed, look for Liverpool to adopt a more standard 4-3-3 shape, aiming to spring Salah and Luis Diaz into the opponent's half. Liverpool will likely boast the same back four they've started in each Premier League match this season: Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Virgil van Dij, and Ibrahima Konate. However, first-choice keeper Alisson remains sidelined with an injury, giving 25-year old Caoimhin Kelleher the opening for his second Premier League start of the season.
Chelsea continue to evolve tactically under new manager Maresca. The 4-2-3-1 deployed by the Italian has provided the young Blues with a clear message on to how Chelsea will play their football. He's instilled a solidly defensive mindset that has allowed just eight goals over their first seven Premier League matches and led to a defensive record tied for fifth best in the league. Similar to Liverpool, Chelsea typically deploy either Marc Cucurella or Malo Gusto as inverted full-backs when they've won the ball.
The Chelsea backline will be without Wesley Fofana and Cucurella, both of whom picked up fifth yellow cards just before the break. With Axel Disasi still deputizing at right-back for oft-injured Reece James behind de facto starter Malo Gusto, expect Tosin Adarabioyo to be depended upon Sunday in central defense, while Renato Veiga could replace Cucurella.
Moises Caicedo is likely to continue in his role as the holding midfielder. His ability to disrupt play is key for the Chelsea attack. When Caicedo is able to dominate the midfield, it livens Enzo Fernandez's ability to play the ball forward and gives Cole Palmer the license to roam the pitch freely, picking the ball up from deep or making forward runs to setup fellow attackers Nicolas Jackson and Noni Madueke.
RECENT FORM
Liverpool (WWWWW) have outscored their opponents 13-2 over their five-game winning streak (all competitions). The Reds rode a single goal from Diogo Jota to the finish line versus Crystal Palace in their most recent Premier League fixture, keeping a clean sheet and possessing the ball for 69 percent of the match.
Chelsea (DWWWW) were unable to push past Nottingham Forest, who were forced to play with 10-men over the final 11 minutes in a 1-1 draw. Madueke's second-half goal brought Chelsea level, but they'll be disappointed to have earned a share of the points after dominating the ball with 67-percent possession.
LINEUP NOTES
Liverpool
Liverpool have largely avoided the injury bug early this season, but they lost all-world goalkeeper Alisson for at least until after the November international break with a thigh injury. Capable No. 2 Caoimhin Kelleher will assume the first-team duties. He made seven saves and kept a clean sheet in his lone Premier League start this season versus Bournemouth.
Newcomer Federico Chiesa has been ruled out of Liverpool's most recent three matches with an undisclosed injury and has played just 19 minutes over two appearances for the Reds. Midfielder Harvey Elliott remains weeks away from returning from a foot injury.
Chelsea
Outside of the suspensions to Cucurella and Fofana, Chelsea are fairly healthy. With Cucurella sidelined, 21-year old Renato Veiga, who made his Portuguese national team debut over the international break, will likely start at left-back.
Depending on Maresca's confidence in the youngster, Gusto could move to the left, which would allow either Disasi or newly healthy Reece James to start. Given James' injury history, it seems unlikely he'll be thrust into the XI.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Robert Sanchez: Chelsea's first-choice keeper has showcased his shot-stopping abilities early in the Premier league campaign. He's averaging 4.7 saves per match and has conceded just eight goals through seven starts. One component of his game that's been forced to develop under Maresca has been his distribution.
According to statmuse.com, Sanchez's 79-percent pass completion rate ranks fifth amongst Premier League keepers. However, under Maresca's play-from-the-back system, Sanchez has given the ball up to the opposition's press multiple times, directly leading to goals allowed. Sanchez's ability to begin the Chelsea build-up from the back will be a key to their success or failure Sunday.
Alexander-Arnold: The right-back should be licking his chops Sunday when he finds himself on the ball in the attacking third. His propensity to whip in crosses from multiple angles remains on display early in the 2024/2025 season, averaging 4.8 attempted crosses through seven Premier League appearances (seven starts), creating 16 chances. With Chelsea forced into playing replacement options in two of their four spots in the backline, Alexander-Arnold should take aim and fire the ball into the penalty area frequently, looking to bring his assist total (one) more in line with his expected assists (2.1 xAG), per FBref.com.
BETTING PICKS & PREDICTION
Premier League Odds Comparisons
Man of the Match: Virgil van Dijk
Both teams will be playing a similar style with their shapes expanding and contracting depending on positioning and possession. In a match where each side will prefer to dominate the ball, I expect van Dijk's experience in bringing along the attack in a pragmatic way or in picking the right spot to find a streaking Salah or Diaz over the top will be the difference in the match. Chelsea simply have no counterpart to van Dijk.
When Chelsea are in possession, van Dijk will assume responsibility for organizing Liverpool's defensive ranks in front of their inexperienced but talented second-choice keeper. His ability to defend aerially or with pace will determine if Liverpool are able to keep the likes of Palmer or Jackson at bay.
Result: Liverpool 3 - Chelsea 1
UPCOMING LEAGUE FIXTURES
Liverpool: Oct. 27 at Arsenal
Chelsea: Oct. 27 vs. Newcastle
