Liverpool
welcome Chelsea to Anfield on Saturday with Brendan Rodgers in need of
positive result to prevent any pressure growing on him
All eyes will be on Rodgers after taking the bold decision to rest his top
stars against Real Madrid in midweek with the clash with Chelsea in mind.
Rodgers has put extra pressure on himself to gain a positive result against
the Premier League leaders after opting to leave out six of his regular
starting XI at the Bernabeu.
Opta Stats
Jose Mourinho’s side have been the most clinical in the top flight scoring
with 23% of their attempts.
Half of the Premier League goals Chelsea have conceded this season have come
in the final 15 minutes of matches.
After a run of four successive Premier League wins against Chelsea,
Liverpool are winless in four against the Blues (D2 L2).
There might be revenge on the minds of the Liverpool players after last
season's defeat to Chelsea at Anfield all but cost them the Premier League
title.
Liverpool have six points fewer than at this stage last season and have
picked up just two wins from their last seven league outings.
Chelsea remain the only unbeaten side in the Premier League this season and
they have scored double the amount of goals as Liverpool so far this term.
Chelsea have lost just one of their last six league and cup games against
Liverpool with Rodgers yet to taste victory against his former employers.
Team news
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard, fellow midfielder Jordan Henderson and
forward Raheem Sterling are all expected to be recalled for the visit of
league leaders Chelsea.
The trio were among seven players left out of the midweek defeat at Real
Madrid but not all are guaranteed to return.
Good performances by the likes of centre-back Kolo Toure and forward Fabio
Borini could see them retain their places.
Daniel Sturridge, who has been out of action since the start of September,
will again miss out against his former club as he recovers from a calf
problem.
Jose Enrique, Mamadou Sakho, Jon Flanagan and Suso all remain on the
sidelines for the home side.
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho also rested several of his stars in the Champions
League for the draw with Maribor.
Diego Costa, Oscar, Gary Cahill and Thibaut Courtois are all set to return
to the startling line-up as Chelsea look to maintain their lead at the top
of the table.
Spanish defender Cesar Azpilicueta is available again after serving a
three-match ban following his sending off against Crystal Palace and he is
expected to replace Filipe Luis at left-back.
Paul Merson's prediction:
Liverpool need a result but they won’t get one. You can’t turn it on and off
like a tap and I think there is severe pressure on Brendan Rodgers, not just
because of the results but also his comments.
He said Liverpool-Real Madrid was not a showcase game. Not a showcase game?
How would you feel if you were a Liverpool fan and heard that? He would have
thought that if he goes out with a weakened team and loses then he can say
he was focused on Saturday but because they only lost 1-0, people are saying
they could have beat Real with their proper team.
Rodgers could have just come out and said: ‘If we take care of Basel and
Ludogorets we’ll be alright to get through the group but I need to make sure
we get in the top four in the Premier League’. But he didn’t talk like that.
Liverpool fans don’t have the right to pick the team but they pay their
money to travel and have the right to see a team that can win. They saw a
1-0 doing. I think Chelsea will be too good for them this weekend as well.
PAUL PREDICTS: 1-2
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