Liverpool and Chelsea meet at Wembley Stadium to compete for the Carabao Cup trophy, with Jurgen Klopp hoping to end his time at Anfield on a high note while Mauricio Pochettino looking forward to winning his inaugural trophy at Stamford Bridge.
Caoimhin Kelleher will start in goal for Liverpool, with Ibrahima Konate, Virgil Van Dijk and Andy Robertson at the back. Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch make up their starting eleven on the bench. In this article, we will discuss about Chelsea f.c. vs Liverpool f.c. Lineups.
Chelsea (4-3-3)
On Saturday lunchtime, the Premier League kicks off in earnest with two relegation rematches between Ipswich Town (who finished second last season) and Chelsea – Enzo Maresca taking charge for the first time – facing off. Ipswich host Manchester City as they begin life without Jurgen Klopp while Chelsea host Manchester City at Stamford Bridge with Enzo Maresca taking charge for the inaugural time under new manager Kieran McKenna.
Kevin De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva will likely form part of City’s starting XI, while new signing Savinho could make his first start after missing last weekend’s Community Shield win due to injury. Oscar Bobb is out due to an injured fractured fibula which could see him sidelined for up to four months – both players should play.
Maresca will likely field his full squad in a 3-4-3 formation, with wing-backs Romeo Lavia and Wesley Fofana expected to push forward and rotate with Callum Hudson-Odoi and Mason Mount as goalscoring targets in possession. This will free up space behind them for full-backs to attack down either flank.
Maresca’s three midfielders all possessing the capability of filling the hole, it offers opportunities for N’Golo Kante or Jorginho to sit deeper and provide assistance with possession work. This may force the wing-backs to cover more ground without as much freedom to run with the ball freely.
Cole Palmer is an exciting young talent that could present the home side with a real threat on either wing. He can bomb forward to create chances for his teammates or drop deep to collect the ball and link play with Hudson-Odoi and Chilwell if given the opportunity. Cole will look to build on an impressive pre-season and make an immediate impactful debut for his side alongside Nicolas Jackson who may join them both looking to impress their new manager upon debut.
Liverpool (4-3-3)
Liverpool initially experimented with switching to a 4-3-3 formation during the summer, featuring Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino as strikers. While this enhanced their attacking threat, defensive balance wasn’t in their favour against Wolves and Brighton where their high press was easily broken, leaving them exposed out of possession and vulnerable out of possession – these defeats resulted in Klopp switching back to mid-block counter-attacking style as his response.
Fulham were dominant against Liverpool as Fabinho occupied a central role alongside Van Dijk and Robertson. This allowed them to use Milner or Keita as more forward-thinking secondary wingers while Firmino dropped deeper to create space between centre-backs and full-backs for runs from behind.
Liverpool’s shape allows for plenty of movement in the final third and, as evidenced by their heatmap, they have no difficulty moving the ball quickly and spreading it widely. Unfortunately, this leaves them less protected against defensive pressure from opposing teams, who may attack through channels between their defenders and full-backs.
This season, the club has sought to find a balance between these two areas by employing a box midfield and employing their forwards in more advanced positions. This approach helps offset their high press and maintain an attack while still giving time for possession-based play.
Klopp will likely stick with this formula with some minor adjustments. Jarell Quansah could replace Ibrahima Konate at centre-back, and Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister may join Fabinho in holding midfield positions. Diogo Jota should replace Darwin Nunez who disappointed during his last outing up front.
Jota has long been linked with top-flight players, yet his pace and direct running have made him an excellent replacement for Firmino. He excelled in Liverpool’s preseason friendlies and looks set to start against Chelsea – perhaps opening up more chances for goalscoring opportunities than Nunez could provide.
Chelsea XI vs. Liverpool XI
Liverpool and Chelsea, two teams who finished outside of the top four in 2022/23, have invested heavily in this transfer window. Liverpool has brought in many new cogs while Chelsea have given numerous fringe players new contracts with hopes that this can get them back into Premier League play.
At Stamford Bridge this afternoon, the teams will face each other for the first time since Klopp and Slot’s exit and entrance respectively. Both have made significant alterations, meaning their lineups could look vastly different come kickoff.
Both clubs will put much at stake for this matchup, while providing young talent an opportunity to shine on a 3G pitch. Expect it to be intense as both clubs battle it out on full strength!
George Petrovich will lead the defence for the home side alongside Malo Gusto, Axel Disasi, Levi Colwill and Ben Chilwell at left back; Ibou Konate and Jarell Quansah may vie for centre back positions as Ibou Konate makes his comeback at left-back.
Midfield remains mostly unchanged with Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher remaining starters; Romao Lavia, Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall and Pedro Neto join Romao Lavia Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as reserves as do Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson on the bench.
Nkunku could fill Sterling’s position at centre-forward, though he is more likely to start on the right. Nkunku scored on his return against Manchester City and will be joined in an attacking trio by Cole Palmer and Nicolas Jackson.
Liverpool are without Mohamed Salah due to his ongoing hamstring injury sustained while on international duty with Egypt. His absence will be felt greatly and could deny Liverpool a top-four finish this season and their Champions League qualification hopes. Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, and Diogo Jota will remain unchanged up front for this one.
Liverpool XI vs. Chelsea XI
Liverpool kick off their 2018-19 Premier League campaign this Saturday when they travel to Ipswich Town for their season-opener. The Reds will look to start 2019 off right and put last season’s disappointing finish in the rearview mirror, having bolstered their squad via additions made during the summer transfer window but with many of their senior players still out enjoying holidays or pre-season preparation.
Klopp’s side have only recently begun training together and are still familiarizing themselves. The Dutchman has yet to make changes to his starting lineup and should field similar selections as those which started the club’s Community Shield win against Arsenal last Sunday.
Alisson should continue in goal and the back four could include Alisson himself (Virgil van Dijk is expected to lead them as one of Europe’s finest center-backs) while Andy Robertson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and either Ibrahima Konate or Jarell Quansah can provide cover – Joe Gomez could provide additional protection and cover.
In midfield, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson will form a solid partnership under Klopp. The Brazilian is his ideal holding player who also provides offensive contributions in the final third. Meanwhile, Henderson possesses both speed and attacking prowess to be an asset regardless of formation he plays in; not to mention an incredible work-rate unrivaled at Liverpool.
On the right side, Dominic Solanke will be crucial to creating and scoring goals this season, after impressing in last season’s end and scoring one goal in the Community Shield. Sadio Mane will look to improve on a disappointing end to last season and work well alongside Mohamed Salah to form one of the premier left-side pairings in Premier League. Curtis Jones should add more stability in midfield as former Tottenham star who can cover lots of ground – something essential when keeping pace with Chelsea’s fast paced game.
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