Chelsea, who gave up any hope of League title, now face points table leader, Liverpool in a match of power-play and honor, reports BBC.
Andy Robertson returns after missing Liverpool’s Champions League victory against Porto through suspension, reports. The fit-again Joe Gomez is available, having been named on the bench in midweek, and Adam Lallana is set to be in contention despite a recent injury.
Chelsea made seven changes for their Europa League win against Slavia Prague and will recall a number of key players, including Eden Hazard. The Blues will assess left-back Emerson, who missed Thursday’s game. Callum Hudson-Odoi was left out of the squad for that fixture because of tiredness, and head coach Maurizio Sarri says he has not decided whether the winger will start at Anfield on Sunday.
It’s being billed as his team’s toughest one left on their run-in, and if they win it the belief that this is finally Liverpool’s Premier League year will reach its highest height yet.
Recent history is with Chelsea. Nearly seven years have passed since they last lost at Anfield – a run that included the famous Steven Gerrard slip and Demba Ba goal that took the title away from Liverpool in 2014.
Only the present matters though, and Chelsea coming straight from a Thursday night game in Prague won’t help them – nor, perhaps, the hopes of their ‘Blues brothers’ in Manchester.
Liverpool are winless in their past five league and cup games against Chelsea (D3, L2). The Blues are unbeaten in eight matches at Anfield in all competitions since a 4-1 defeat in May 2012 (W3, D5).
Liverpool have three wins and a draw from their four home games against the other sides in the top six this season. They have won four of their nine such league matches home and away. The Reds are also undefeated in their past 17 Premier League fixtures at Anfield against the other established top-six sides (W9, D8). They are unbeaten in their last 37 home league games (W27, D10), the joint-second longest such streak in Premier League history.
Despite having the division’s best defensive record, they have come back to earn 16 points from losing positions – more than any other Premier League side this season.
The Merseysiders have scored 21 Premier League goals in the final 15 minutes of matches this season, the highest figure in the top flight (Chelsea are second with 19 goals).
Chelsea have recorded three consecutive Premier League victories for the first time since winning their first five top-flight matches under Maurizio Sarri. The Blues have lost their last five away league games against sides from the established top six, conceding a total of 14 goals. They have also lost five of their six away matches this season against sides currently in the top half of the table, with their only win coming at Watford on Boxing Day.
Chelsea are the only club yet to have a player sent off in this season’s Premier League. Their most recent red card was shown to Tiemoue Bakayoko against Watford in February 2018. Eden Hazard has been directly involved in 28 Premier League goals this season (scoring 16 and assisting 12), more than any other player prior to the latest round of fixtures.
