Chelsea entertain Liverpool at Stamford Bridge with the Premier League leaders looking to remain perfect after six games.
The Blues pushed Jurgen Klopp’s side all the way in Istanbul in the Uefa Super Cup, with the Champions League holders prevailing on penalties.
With Manchester City destroying Watford yesterday, a victory, of any kind, will cement Liverpool’s title credentials and push them closer to their favourites tag.
Chelsea 0 – 1 Liverpool
24 mins: Christensen with a seriously penetrating ball sends Tammy Abraham free behind the high line of Liverpool. He runs the ball into the box. Mount is with him but Abraham goes it alone and hits the goalkeeper with his shot!
Chelsea 0 – 1 Liverpool
18 mins: Emerson goes off the pitch for Chelsea as he’s replaced by Marcos Alonso. It looks like a recurrence of his injury that has forced the left back off the pitch.
Fabinho’s pressure on Jorginho in midfield is almost perfect but he arrives a second too late and Chelsea win a free kick, that they push forward and convert into a corner.
The corner ball comes in and Adrian punches it away.
Chelsea 0 – 0 Liverpool
12 mins: Mo Salah doesn’t control the ball and it goes out for a Chelsea throw in. The home side work it quickly down the left with Kovacic beating a Liverpool midfielder and sending Mount on his way. Mount crosses the ball into the box but can’t find a blue shirt.
It was a good move from Chelsea though.
Chelsea 0 – 0 Liverpool
9 mins: Kante plays the ball into the box for Willian to run onto Virgil van Dijk goes with with and uses his natural strength to push him off the ball.
Chelsea 0 – 0 Liverpool
6 mins: Azpilicueta gets a vital touch on the ball as Henderson whips a long cross out to Mane on the left hand side. Chelsea’s captain gets enough on the ball to take it away from the Liverpool striker.
Chelsea 0 – 0 Liverpool
3 mins: Alexander-Arnold puts a tempting ball into the Chelsea box but Kepa Arrizabalaga comes and claims it easily enough.
Ten minutes to go until Chelsea host Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. If Liverpool were to win they would become the first team to win the first six games of the season in consecutive years.
Can Chelsea ruin the party? They held Liverpool to a 1-1 draw last season to end their winning run, will they do the same again today?
Head-to-head
Chelsea have won just one of the past nine Premier League meetings between the sides, drawing five and losing three.
Liverpool have claimed five victories from their last 11 league trips to Stamford Bridge and the Blues have scored in all-but one of their last 20 meetings with Liverpool in all competitions.
Liverpool are big favourites but Chelsea will throw everything they have at the Reds and maybe, just maybe, something will stick.
Chelsea are searching for their first win at Stamford Bridge under Frank Lampard but it’ll be a tough, tough ask.
Liverpool have won their first five games of the season to make it 14 wins in a row but their first dropped points last season came against Chelsea.
Team news
N’Golo Kante makes his first start for Chelsea since August after recovering from an ankle injury. Mason Mount is also fit after a knock against Valencia midweek.
There is also a start for Emerson after the full-back recovered from injury. He replaces Marcos Alonso.
There’s two changes for Liverpool from their last Premier League game as Roberto Firmino returns to the starting XI while Jordan Henderson replaces Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in midfield.
Chelsea and Liverpool met in the Super Cup before the start of the Premier League season with the Reds coming away as champions after a penalty shootout.
Jurgen Klopp has seen the effect that the young players have had on the Chelsea team and he credits Frank Lampard for that improvement. He said:
“Chelsea had some problems but they have sorted it well. I don’t think they expected [to lose to Valencia]. It reminds me of my team in Dortmund a few years ago. Really young but they only played because they were that good.
“Frank 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.”
A once fierce and fiery rivalry, one that pitted Frank Lampard against Steven Gerrard, has lost it’s spark. How did that happen and can it be reignited?
The match of the weekend will see Jurgen Klopp’s unbeaten Liverpool side taken on Frank Lampard’s Chelsea youngsters at Stamford Bridge.
The early team news is that Chelsea’s Mason Mount faces a fitness test on the ankle sprain he suffered in their midweek Champions League loss.
N’Golo Kante is in contention after returning to training but Emerson Palmieri is once again doubtful.
Divock Origi is unlikely to play, for Liverpool due to his ongoing ankle injury.
Naby Keita is back in full training, while keeper Alisson and Nathaniel Clyne both remain out.
Welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of Chelsea vs Liverpool.
The Blues pushed the Reds all the way to penalties in the Uefa Super Cup earlier in the season.
And now, with their second chance at the Premier League leaders, they will aim for revenge to deny Jurgen Klopp’s side a 100 per cent record after six games.
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Frank Lampard admits he knew Mohamed Salah was destined for bigger things when the pair were together at Chelsea.
Salah moved to Stamford Bridge in 2014 but struggled for game time under Jose Mourinho and made just 19 appearances for the club before joining Roma.
Lampard was a team-mate of the Egyptian for six months before his own Chelsea career came to an end that summer.
“Unfortunately for Mo, it didn’t work out here but it is great credit to him. He went to Italy and then came back and now he’s a superstar,” said Lampard. “As for his path, it’s hard to compare what might have been. The talent was obviously there.
“At the time, I think we had a lot of options in attacking areas. Number 10s, wingers, and he didn’t get as many opportunities for whatever reason, but yes, you could see the talent was there.
“But the player that he is now, or that came back to Liverpool, I think you have to say huge credit is due. You don’t have to search for anything more than look at Mo himself.
“You have to say what professionalism and work ethic, to leave a club like Chelsea is not easy.
“People then cast you aside and say you won’t make it there. He went on to be the superstar he is now. It is completely credit to Mo himself.”
