Date and Time: 2nd January 2022 @10 PM IST
Venue: Stamford Bridge
Chelsea vs Liverpool, where to watch?
India: Star Sports Network and Disney+Hotstar
Chelsea vs Liverpool Team News:
Chelsea:
Chelsea was forced to withdraw Reece James and Andreas Christensen from the match against Brighton due to thigh and back injuries, respectively, while Ben Chilwell has now been confirmed to be requiring surgery for an ACL injury he sustained in the match. Thiago Silva is the fourth defensive absence from Tuchel’s squad, with Ruben Loftus-Cheek dealing with an ankle injury and Timo Werner, who tested positive for COVID, having failed to return to training before the Brighton draw.
Trevoh Chalobah and Malang Sarr are likely to be forced to feature in the starting XI in this depleted Chelsea side. It would not be surprising to see Kai Havertz play – particularly if Romelu Lukaku’s recent interview puts him on the naughty step – in this match.
Liverpool:
Following his red card against Tottenham, Andy Robertson will serve his third and final game of a two-game ban. Meanwhile, Liverpool has Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Naby Keita available for selection ahead of the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations tournament.
Takumi Minamino and Thiago Alcantara are still on the injured list after failing to recover from muscular problems, while Nat Phillips, Adrian, Divock Origi, and Harvey Elliott are all still on the sidelines with injuries.
Chelsea vs Liverpool Probable Playing XI:
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Mendy; Azpilicueta, Chalobah, Antonio Rudiger; Callum Hudson-Odoi, Jorginho, N’Golo Kante, Marcos Alonso; Mason Mount, Kai Havertz; Timo Werner
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joel Matip, Virgil Van Dijk, Konstantinos Tsimikas; Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, Oxlade-Chamberlain; Salah, Jota, Sadio Mane
Chelsea vs Liverpool Betting Predictions:
Match Betting: Chelsea Win (2.60)
Draw (3.50)
Liverpool Win (2.62)
The One-Liner Explainer:
Liverpool’s weakened and perhaps young defence will undoubtedly work in their favour on Sunday, even though both teams’ confidence levels are far from 100 percent right now. In the case of Liverpool, the importance of securing all three points before Salah and Mane depart for the Africa Cup of Nations cannot be overstated, and we expect Klopp’s side to earn the latest in a long line of positive results at Stamford Bridge to inflict further damage on their rivals’ title hopes.
