Team
news and stats ahead of Chelsea vs Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday
(kick-off 4.30pm).
Team news
Liverpool managed to register the paperwork in time for new signing Thiago
Alcantara to be available for Sunday's trip to Chelsea.
Although the £20m deal for the Bayern Munich midfielder was not announced
until late on Friday afternoon the formalities had already been completed in
advance for the Spain international to join the squad if manager Jurgen
Klopp requires.
Thiago would most likely start on the bench if selected but fellow
midfielder Fabinho could start at the expense of Naby Keita.
Latest News
Hakim Ziyech, Ben Chilwell and Thiago Silva will all miss out for Chelsea.
The new recruits must wait for their league debuts for the Blues, with
Ziyech still nursing a knee complaint, Chilwell a heel issue and Silva
searching for match fitness.
Christian Pulisic is still to shake off a hamstring problem, but striker
Timo Werner is fit, having eased past a dead leg picked up at Brighton on
Monday.
Opta stats
Chelsea have lost each of their last three Premier League meetings with
Liverpool; only once before have they lost more in a row against the Reds in
the competition (four between November 2010 and May 2012).
After winning just one of their first 16 Premier League visits to Stamford
Bridge between 1992-93 and 2007-08 (D4 L11), Liverpool have since won six of
their last 12 league games away at Chelsea (D3 L3), including three of five
under Jürgen Klopp (D1 L1).
Only Liverpool themselves (22) have won more Premier League matches against
the reigning champions than Chelsea (15 - level with Manchester United);
indeed, the Blues are unbeaten in their last 13 home league games against
the previous season's title-winning side (W7 D6), winning each of their last
three in succession.
Excluding games on the opening day of a season, this will be Liverpool's
first Premier League match against a side starting the day above them in the
league table since October 2018, a 0-0 draw against Manchester City.
Chelsea finished the 2019-20 Premier League season with six consecutive home
victories, last winning seven in a row at Stamford in Bridge in the
competition in December 2017 under Antonio Conte.
Since their 2019-20 title win was confirmed in June, Liverpool have conceded
15 goals in their eight Premier League games (W5 D1 L2) - their previous 15
league goals conceded came across a 23-game spell.
top