Chelsea’s progress under Enzo Maresca will face a stern examination this weekend when the Blues take on Liverpool at Anfield.
Maresca’s side are unbeaten since the opening weekend and in early contention for a Champions League return. Their away from has been particularly impressive with three consecutive wins on the road, though Chelsea must address a poor recent record in this fixture.
Chelsea have not beaten Liverpool in their last nine encounters across all competitions, a run that includes three domestic cup final defeats. Their last win over the Reds came in March 2021, when Mason Mount’s winner secured Chelsea the points at Anfield under the management of newly-appointed England boss Thomas Tuchel.
Chelsea XI vs Liverpool – Predicted lineup and team news
Chelsea team news
Chelsea will need to reshuffle their defence ahead of the trip to Merseyside, after Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana picked up suspensions in the draw with Nottingham Forest before the international break. Each collected their fifth yellow cards of the campaign and automatic one-game bans will be served at Anfield.
Renato Veiga is likely to replace Cucurella with Ben Chilwell out of the picture at Chelsea, while Axel Disasi and Tosin Adarabioyo will compete to replace Fofana at centre-back.
Whether it’s receiving accolades or playing in big occasions, Cole never changes. ❄️💙 pic.twitter.com/A9rt0bIle4
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) October 18, 2024
Reece James has returned to training but the clash will likely come too soon for the Chelsea captain, with Malo Gusto to continue at right-back. Christopher Nkunku is pushing for a place in the side and scored for France during the international break. The forward has averaged a goal every 65.5 minutes for club and country in 2024/25.
Chelsea predicted lineup
Chelsea predicted XI: Robert Sanchez; Malo Gusto, Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Renato Veiga; Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer; Noni Madueke, Jadon Sancho, Nicolas Jackson.
When is Liverpool vs Chelsea?
Liverpool host Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday 20th October. Kick-off is 16:30 BST.
What TV channel is Liverpool vs Chelsea?
For a UK audience, the Liverpool v Chelsea game will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Ultra HDR.
