Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images
Liverpool look to bounce back against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge after experiencing their first defeat of the season.
Chelsea vs. Liverpool
|Sunday, September 22nd |
Premier League | Stamford Bridge
4:30PM GMT/11:30AM EST
Liverpool will look to bounce back after a disappointing midweek defeat in the Champions League. They’ll be heading to Stamford Bridge to face Tammy Abraham and the rest of Frank Lampard’s Blues.
Liverpool won’t be the only team on the pitch to have suffered Champions League defeat: Chelsea also lost to Valencia at the Bridge in their opening match. Despite having a light set of early fixtures, Chelsea have only picked up eight out of their possible 15 points this season, planting them firmly in seventh place. If it wasn’t for Tammy Abraham and his seven goals so far, things would be looking even more bleak for the Blues.
The good news for Liverpool is that Naby Keïta has joined full training. While it’s probably too early to see him start, we may see him get some minutes off the bench, if all goes to plan. This could prove important since Divock Origi may not yet be available for Klopp on Sunday.
Manchester City added three points of their league standing in grandstanding fashion, humiliating Watford on Saturday afternoon, so the pressure is on for Liverpool to continue their winning ways and stay ahead.
Projected Liverpool Lineup (4-3-3)
Adrian; Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Wijnaldum; Mané, Salah, Firmino
James Milner played against Napoli this weekend, but it should be back to Klopp’s preferred midfield three against Chelsea. Klopp may opt for Oxlade-Chamberlain as an option, but most likely it will be back to the traditional three.
Alisson continues his recovery process, but it not yet fit to resume his duties, so it will be Adrian once again guarding the net for Liverpool.
Rhian Brewster will probably find himself on the bench again, unless Keïta and Origi are both available options.
Meanwhile, N’Golo Kante and Mason Mount may both be ready to rejoin Chelsea after their ankle injuries. Antonio Rudiger and Emerson Palmieri both missed Chelsea’s game against Valencia, while Callum Hudson-Odoi and Ruben Loftus-Cheek,Reece James and Marko van Ginkel are long-term absences for Lampard.
What the Managers Had to Say
Jurgen Klopp: “Lampard did an outstanding job at Derby, so I am not surprised by him at Chelsea. But it is a difficult league. I can see some people are not happy with some results but that is not because of him. He is a really good manager.”
Frank Lampard: “I respect him hugely and it was a nice thing going up against him in the Super Cup. He doesn’t mess about and quite rightly has got the success he deserves. If he talked about individual players then that is great for them, but they need to use that to get even better.”
The Officials
Referee: Michael Oliver. Assistants: Stuart Burt, Simon Bennett. Fourth official: Kevin Friend. VAR: Andre Marriner. Assistant VAR: Stephen Child
Kickoff is set for 4:30PM GMT/11:30AM EST tomorrow, and television listings for the match can be found on LiveSoccerTV. In the meantime, we’ll be keeping you updated with all the buildup to the game, including team news as it’s released, our live matchday thread, and post-match recaps from The Liverpool Offside staff. If you want to join the discussion, sign up for an SB Nation account to have your say on the action as it happens.
