Liverpool welcome Chelsea to Anfield in a huge Premier League clash in the race for a top-four finish.
Victory will see Liverpool climb to sixth for at least a few hours, whilst Chelsea realistically will go seventh with a win ahead of the 3pm GMT kick-offs unless they record a huge winning margin to lift them up to sixth.
Team News
Konstantinos Tsimikas is a doubt for Liverpool after he suffered a knock to his back during their midweek replay win at Wolves in the FA Cup.
Darwin Nunez could return after missing the Reds’ last two matches with a knock.
Virgil Van Dijk (hamstring), Arthur Melo (thigh), Luis Diaz (knee), Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota (both calf) remain absent.
Chelsea could welcome Wesley Fofana back after the defender resumed training following a lengthy knee injury.
Edouard Mendy (shoulder/finger), Ben Chilwell (thigh), Denis Zakaria (quad), N’Golo Kante, Raheem Sterling (both hamstring), Denis Zakaria (quad), Joao Felix (suspension), Christian Pulisic, Reece James and Armando Broja (all knee) remain absent.
When is Kick-Off?
Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield on Saturday 21 January 2023 with kick-off at 12:30pm GMT, live on BT Sport 1 in UK.
Stat Attack
- Liverpool have lost just one of their last five league meetings against Chelsea (W2, D2, L1).
- Chelsea have won one of their last seven league visits to Anfield (W1, D4, L2), with all four draws finishing in 1-1 result.
- Mohamed Salah has scored in each of Liverpool’s last two league meetings against Chelsea (D2).
- Darwin Nunez has scored three goals in two of his last three appearances for Liverpool at Anfield in all competitions.
- Chelsea are winless in seven of their last eight away matches in all competitions (W1, D2, L5).
Prediction
Having delivered lacklustre performance in their last two league matches albeit away from home, Liverpool now need to ensure home advantage counts here, especially off the back of a clinical win at Wolves in their FA Cup replay in which their youth showed more passion than many regulars.
Chelsea meanwhile aren’t exactly in fine form coming into this game either and were lucky to beat Crystal Palace last weekend, in a game where they slowly grew into the match and luckily had that clinical final touch which they will certainly need if want to win here.
Both teams though are sat ten points behind fourth-placed Newcastle so if either team want a top-four finish, victory here feels absolutely crucial but I wouldn’t be surprised if this game somehow finishes as a draw which will only pile further pressure upon both clubs.
Prediction: Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea
Result: Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea