Chelsea will be travelling to Anfield to face Liverpool in the Premier League on January 21. Last Word on Football puts together a Chelsea Predicted Lineup for the crucial clash, as the Blues hope to get their first big win of 2023.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup vs Liverpool
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How Chelsea Have Lined-Up Recently
Graham Potter’s side has not had the best of starts to the new year, only winning one game in all competitions so far. Their poor form has forced their owners to act in the transfer market, resulting in Chelsea going on a transfer rampage and already having announced five new signings for January.
The Blues appear to be at their best when playing with a back-four for the time being. There will be changes from the last game against Crystal Palace for this big game, which could mean a shift to a back-five again.
New boy Benoit Badiashile had a great debut against Palace on Sunday and helped his side get a clean sheet. He looks to be comfortable with Thiago Silva beside him and Trevoh Chalobah looked sharp at right-back, meaning he might keep captain Cesar Azpilicueta out of the team until Reece James (who is in training) returns. Young Lewis Hall seems to be the breakthrough star under Potter and could keep his place in the team.
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Mateo Kovacic should slot back into the team, while Ruben Loftus-Cheek is already fit to start again and add more energy to the midfield. A lot of eyes will be on Chelsea’s big-money signing Mykhailo Mudryk, who is fit and ready to start against Liverpool. Kai Havertz and Mason Mount should keep their places in the team as well.
Chelsea Recent Form and Tactics
The Blues have struggled to impress since the season restarted after the end of the Qatar World Cup. They have only won two games in their last six after the campaign resumed, suffering defeats to the likes of Man City and Fulham. However, their recent win over Palace has helped give them a boost in momentum ahead of the trip to Anfield.
Potter tries to encourage a possession-heavy style of football, where the players are urged to keep the ball at their feet and play high up the field. Even the centre-backs are crucial to their style, being encouraged to maraud into midfield and open up spaces for their attacking players.
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But he’s had to keep his idealistic philosophy in check and make some modifications at Chelsea. Because of the lack of quality in certain areas of his squad, the Englishman has not been able to fully implement his style at Stamford Bridge. He will, however, look to make progress by urging his players to take the fight to Liverpool in their next game.
Havertz should be leading the line again, with his role seeing him often drop deep to link-up play and arrive late into the box to get on the end of chances. In Mudryk, Chelsea can have a breath of fresh air in the attack. The ex-Shakhtar Donetsk winger’s impressive pace, dribbling ability and chaotic nature in the final third can help open up a lot of opportunities for the attacking players.
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Mount will be crucial in creating chances by playing clever defence-splitting passes looking to release his teammates through on goal. Kovacic and Loftus-Cheek will be tasked to press the opposition midfielders, with the former playing a role with ball progression play too. At the back, Chelsea will have to be nearly perfect to keep Anfield quiet.
That means the defenders will have to put in a rugged shift and be almost flawless to keep the likes of Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo subdued. Kepa Arizzabalaga is a great shot-stopper who has that occasional mistake in his game, which he needs to eradicate to survive the storm against Liverpool. Chelsea have to be defensively strong and clinical on the fast breaks to get a win at Anfield and move up the league table.
Chelsea Injuries to Consider
The biggest problem for Chelsea is that they have nine players on the treatment table, nursing injuries. James and Ben Chilwell both reappeared in first-team training recently, meaning they’re close to a return. Edouard Mendy and Armando Broja are out for a long time, with the likes of Raheem Sterling, N’Golo Kante, Christian Pulisic, Wesley Fofana and Denis Zakaria set to miss the game as well. Joao Felix is suspended after picking up a red card on his debut against Fulham.
Chelsea Predicted Lineup
Kepa Arizzabalaga, Trevoh Chalobah, Thiago Silva, Benoit Badiashile, Kalidou Koulibaly, Lewis Hall, Mateo Kovacic, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Mason Mount, Mykhailo Mudryk, Kai Havertz
