Premier League: Liverpool vs Chelsea
At 4:15 a.m. Beijing time on February 1, 2024, the 22nd round of the English Premier League will usher in a key competition, when the "Red Army" Liverpool will face the "Blues" Chelsea at home. Liverpool have been in excellent form this season, with 14 wins, six draws and one defeat after 21 league games, and are at the top of the league table with 48 points, just two points above Arsenal. Liverpool have been in decent form of late, having been unbeaten in consecutive matches and reaching the final of both the EFL Cup and the FA Cup. In addition, it has been revealed that manager Jurgen Klopp will leave the team at the end of the season, which will have a certain impact on the morale of the team.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said: "In any case, there is no pressure on him other than to recover as soon as possible, we are not in a hurry, and if the recovery process can be accelerated, then Thiago will not be out for 10 months." Salah is not ready, he can't play this game [against Chelsea] and he can't play the next game [against Arsenal]. It could be worse, but he's not going to play at the moment. ”
Chelsea have not had a good season, with nine wins, four draws and eight defeats after 21 league games, ranking 10th in the league with 31 points, only in the middle of the league, which is indeed a loss of giants. Chelsea have been similar to their recent opponents, reaching the final of the EFL Cup against Liverpool, while in the FA Cup, a play-off will be needed to decide whether the team will stay or not.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino said: 'Gusto and Nkunku are in the squad tomorrow and I think that's good news. We'll look at the situation, and usually we wait until the last moment. If Jackson returns in time, he might be on the list too, so why not. Colwill was unavailable and he had a slight problem with his tendons. Not a big problem, but won't be able to play tomorrow. ”
In terms of past meetings between the two teams, Liverpool has faced Chelsea in the last 10 times, with 2 wins, 7 draws and 1 loss, and the past record advantage is not large, and the two sides drew 1-1 in the first leg of this season. In terms of recent results, Liverpool's recent form has been acceptable, not only in the cup, but also in the league, the team's desire to grab points is still not low, after all, keeping the top of the yogurt table is also their top priority, and Chelsea have also been on an upward trend recently, with good results in all competitions. Judging from the current attitude of all parties, the Red Army has been given some support, and combined with the strength and recent situation of both sides, Liverpool is still expected to win this "red and blue battle".