Liverpool vs Chelsea Preview and Betting Tip

Unfortunately, Thomas Tuchel threw a curveball at the weekend and our yellow card bet, Marcos Alonso, didn’t feature. The big game in midweek is another one involving The Blues as they take on Liverpool at Anfield. Can Jurgen Klopp’s men end their six-game winless run at home in the Premier League and justify odds of 5/4? Or will Thomas Tuchel and his team pile yet more misery onto Liverpool and get the upset win at 11/5? Whatever happens, it should be a cracking contest. You can watch Liverpool vs Chelsea live on Sky Sports at 8.15 pm on Thursday night. Check out Dave Stevos’ match preview and free betting tip below…

Anfield No Longer A Fortress

One of the keys to success for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool was turning Anfield into a fortress. When he took over in October 2015 Klopp set about making Liverpool extremely hard to beat at home. He lost just 3 of his first 30 odd games at Anfield as Liverpool boss and the 2-1 reversal against Crystal Palace in April 2017 was their last defeat at their own ground until Burnley beat them 1-0 in January of this year.

That was an astonishing unbeaten run that included a streak of 24 straight home wins. However, worryingly for Liverpool supporters, their team has lost more home games in the past six weeks than they did in the previous 5+ years. Liverpool haven’t even managed a goal from open play at Anfield since Sadio Mane scored after 12 minutes in the 1-1 draw vs West Brom. Mo Salah’s penalty against Man City is the only goal they have scored in the five home games since.

On the plus side, The Reds have managed to win two of their last three, both away from home. RB Leipzig gifted them two goals in their 2-0 Champions League win. They then beat Championship bound Sheffield Utd by the same scoreline at the weekend. Are the Champions about to hit top-form again? I am not so sure and it could be another tricky night in store for Klopp’s men at Anfield.

Opportunity Knocks For Tuchel’s Blues

Thomas Tuchel has made an impressive start to life at Chelsea. Okay, they hardly play the most exciting brand of football but it has been effective and they are much harder to score against than they were under Lampard. However, when it comes to scoring goals themselves it has been something of a struggle, as was demonstrated in their 0-0 draw vs Man Utd on Sunday.

As scoreless draws go, it wasn’t that bad a game but Chelsea had more possession and they simply didn’t create enough. The few chances they did conjure up weren’t taken and that has been a recurring theme for them under their new manager. However, Tuchel knows that Liverpool are very vulnerable right now and he won’t get many better opportunities to get a win at Anfield.

If the German picks the correct team, Chelsea could cause the hosts all sorts of problems. If he goes with the pace of Werner up top he could make hay against a Liverpool central defence that lacks pace. On the other hand, if Giroud plays it will make life a lot more comfortable for the opposing centre-backs. It all comes down to how much ambition and bravery Tuchel shows when picking his team. If he gets it right, it could be a tough night for Liverpool.

Pressing Intensity Key

The key to Liverpool winning this game is the intensity of their press. Chelsea are a possession based team who are fond of playing plenty of sideways passes. When Liverpool were at their best, this was the type of system they relished coming up against. However, the intensity of their pressing is not what it was and Chelsea may be able to pass through it. If they can, it could leave Kabak and Phillips very exposed at the heart of The Reds’ defence.  

Liverpool vs Chelsea Head-To-Head

The last time Chelsea managed to win at Anfield in the Premier League was back in 2014 when goals from Cahill and Diego Costa secured a 2-1 victory. Their last visit resulted in a 5-3 win for the home team and it would be nice if we got to enjoy another 8 goal thriller on Thursday. When the two teams met earlier this season at Stamford Bridge, two second-half goals by Sadio Mane earned The Reds a 2-0 win, though Chelsea were reduced to 10 men when Christensen was dismissed on the stroke of half time.

There is good news on the injury front for Liverpool with Alisson, Fabinho and Jota likely to return to the squad. If Fabinho starts it will be interesting to see if he comes back in at centre-back or if he returns to the base of the Liverpool midfield. Given Chelsea’s tactical approach, it will greatly enhance Liverpool’s chances if he plays in his natural position in the middle of the park. Odoi is the only new injury doubt for Chelsea after he was withdrawn against Man Utd with a thigh issue.

Chelsea Appeal Most At The Prices

Although Liverpool got back to winning ways at Bramall Lane, it was far from a convincing display. Sheffield United created a couple of good chances themselves and Kabak and Phillips looked suspect positionally at times. Chelsea played reasonably well against Man Utd and they will take plenty of positives from that performance. They looked pretty solid defensively, passed the ball well and they just need to find more of a cutting edge in the final third.

Looking at the odds for this match, I am not convinced the bookies have got them right. Liverpool have been dreadful at Anfield in recent weeks and Chelsea have won two and drawn one of three away games under Tuchel. I reckon Chelsea are a shade overpriced at odds of 11/5 and Liverpool look too short at 5/4. A draw is not much use to either team given their league positions and at the prices, I think it is worth backing Chelsea to get the win.  

Liverpool vs Chelsea Tip: Chelsea to win @ 11/5

Key Quotes – Liverpool vs Chelsea

Jurgen Klopp – “A week ago we were out (the top 4 race) now we’re around it again. The challenge is clear, to win games. We’ve known that. We cannot make a difference who we face but we know Chelsea’s quality.”

Thomas Tuchel – “I am pretty relaxed. I am pretty sure Liverpool miss their fans, I know from experience the impact the Anfield crowd has on their team. They are one of the best teams in Europe but we are confident we can go there and do what we have to do to win.”

Dave Stevos