Jurgen Klopp: ‘We know we have to prepare for a long season’
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp mentioned the difficulty of tight fixture ahead of Leicester game. The German manager said they have to prepare for a long season in a preseason period.
Chelsea vs Liverpool: Line-ups
Chelsea
Liverpool
Both Sides Need to Win
#1
The Blues have now fallen eight points behind runaway leaders Manchester City in the rankings, and even though the season has only just reached its midway point, Tuchel claimed that it would be “stupid” to think his depleted side are capable of competing for top-flight glory.
#2
VAR comments aside as well, four of Chelsea’s last five Premier League encounters at Stamford Bridge have now ended 1-1, and failing to keep a single home clean sheet in that run represents quite the downturn from Chelsea’s formerly steadfast defence under Tuchel.
#3
Defeat at the King Power marked only Liverpool’s second loss in the 2021-22 season across all competitions, and the third-placed Reds now find themselves nine points adrift of Man City having played a game fewer, and fourth-placed Arsenal are suddenly just six points behind.
#4
Of course, Jurgen Klopp’s crop will leapfrog the Blues back into the top two with victory in the capital, but they have failed to beat three London sides in Brentford, West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur away from home so far this season.
#5
Neither Chelsea nor Liverpool tend to kick off the New Year on a high note either, but recent history is in the Reds’ favour, as they have only lost two of their last 11 Premier League games against the Blues at Stamford Bridge.
DPP Verdict
The confidence levels in both camps are far from 100% right now, but the Blues’ depleted and potentially youthful defence is sure to work in Liverpool’s favour on Sunday. The importance of securing all three points before Salah and Mane jet off to AFCON cannot be understated for the Reds, and we expect Klopp’s side to earn the latest in a long line of positive results at Stamford Bridge to inflict more damage on their rivals’ title chances.
