Liverpool face Chelsea in the Premier League clash at Anfield to kick-start the congested period after the October international break. Sunday’s game against their bitter London rival will provide a good assessment of the Reds’ capabilities to challenge big teams.
Liverpool have won nine out of their first 10 games in all competitions so far under head coach Arne Slot. While the Reds sit at the top of the Premier League table, they have not played a single top-half team.
The schedule creates a big problem for them as now they will face top teams during the congested fixture period. To make things tougher, Liverpool have some serious opposition in the Champions League fixture under a new format this season.
The Reds will face German club RB Leipzig right after playing Chelsea, followed by the Premier League clash against Arsenal. Furthermore, they will face Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid in the Champions League game between other big Premier League matches.
At the same time, Liverpool’s only loss to Nottingham Forest came right after the September international break earlier this season. The Reds cannot afford to display the same complacency against Chelsea that they showed at Anfield against Nottingham.
Slot needs to make sure that the team he selects produce the best performance to kickstart this strenuous fixture period. A victory against Chelsea at Anfield will act more than just three points as it will be an emphatic statement.
The on-form London club have enjoyed a slight resurgence under the new manager Enzo Maresca after their Manchester City loss. The Kop Times looks into the potential starting eleven that Slot will deploy against the Chelsea side with plenty of individual qualities.
Goalkeeper
Caoimhin Kelleher will replace the injured number-one goalkeeper Alisson Becker in the starting lineup. Vitezslav Jaros replaced Alisson against Crystal Palace but Kelleher remains above the Czech international in the pecking order.
Kelleher has bested Chelsea in the two Carabao Cup finals under the leadership of legendary manager Jurgen Klopp. The 25-year-old has a perfect opportunity to maintain his top form against the London rivals while further building his reputation.
Defence
Trent Alexander-Arnold will take the right-back role after his fantastic performance for England, playing as the left-back against Finland. The 26-year-old scored an incredible free-kick to help his country with the Nations League bout 1-3 in a comfortable fashion.
Captain Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will continue their centre-back pairing, having started the season dominantly. Liverpool have conceded only four goals from 10 games in all competitions with the due playing most of the games.
Scotland captain Andy Robertson will play as the main left-back above currently-ill Kostas Tsimikas after his captain’s performance against Portugal. Robertson has struggled with inconsistencies but his incredible performance against Portugal gives a lot of hope going forward.
Midfielders
Ryan Gravenberch has established himself as the main number six after Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi rejected the Reds. Gravenberch is now a pivotal player under Slot, playing alongside Alexis Mac Allister in the midfield ahead of Dominik Szoboszlai.
However, Mac Allister missed the training session with his teammates with Curtis Jones eager to fill the role. Meanwhile, the Kopites will hope that Szoboszlai can continue his late rise in form, scoring two goals for Hungary recently.
Forwards
Mohamed Salah has continued his prolific form for the Reds and remains the first-choice right-winger under Slot. New signing Federico Chiesa is still rebuilding his fitness and his involvement is highly unlikely against Chelsea.
Meanwhile, Slot will use Diogo Jota over Darwin Nunez as the Uruguayan returns late from his international duties. Jota has struggled to influence the overall game but remains a lethal finisher to play the number nine role.
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Luis Diaz has won the selection battle with Cody Gakpo so far as both players have displayed incredible form. However, the Colombian’s international duty ended one day after the Dutchman’s duty and the long trip back is a big factor. We think Gakpo will play ahead of Diaz who could make an impact from the bench.
