Liverpool v Chelsea: Premier League – live
Key events
The interim Chelsea boss Calum McFarlane speaks to TNT Sports. “We need to improve the performance from the Forest game … especially around setbacks and resilience and ability to react to moments that don’t go our way … I’d say that’d be the main thing … being honest and open … highlighting areas we need to improve … we’ve had to be creative with how we line the team up and make sure we have enough threat.”
Both teams have been all over the shop all season … but they can still salvage something from their disappointing campaigns. Should Liverpool win today, they’ll be on the verge of Champions League qualification; only Bournemouth could theoretically pip them, and if the Cherries fail to beat Fulham in today’s 3pms it’d be rubber-stamped. Chelsea by contrast can’t make the top five … and yet Europe is far from a pipe dream. A win in the FA Cup final would guarantee them Europa League football next season, while if they can make it to sixth spot, the Champions League would be on the cards if Aston Villa win the Europa League final and finish fifth (but only fifth). Don’t ask why, life’s too short.
Alexander Isak returns for Liverpool, but only as a named sub. The exciting 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha starts. Giorgi Mamardashvili is also back from injury and takes over from Freddie Woodman in goal. Florian Wirtz has a stomach bug and misses out altogether. And there’s still no Mohamed Salah, with time running out for the hamstrung living legend to make his Anfield curtain call. It’s Brentford in a fortnight’s time or bust.
Chelsea make a switch between the sticks too. Robert Sanchez picked up a head injury after colliding with Morgan Gibbs-White at Nottingham Forest and makes way for Filip Jorgensen. Should anything happen to the stand-in, the 21-year-old USA international Gaga Slonina will make his Chelsea debut. Levi Colwill makes his first start of the season after a long-term knee injury.
The teams
Liverpool: Mamardashvili, Jones, Konate, van Dijk, Kerkez, Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Ngumoha, Gakpo.
Subs: Woodman, Gomez, Isak, Chiesa, Robertson, Nyoni, Morrison, Ndiaye, Wright.
Chelsea: Jorgensen, Colwill, Fofana, Hato, Gusto, Santos, Caicedo, Cucurella, Palmer, Fernandez, Joao Pedro.
Subs: Slonina, Adarabioyo, Delap, Chalobah, James, Acheampong, Lavia, Kavuma-McQueen, Eboue.
Referee: Craig Pawson
VAR: Tony Harrington
Preamble
Rubberneckers assemble! At the end of this game, chances are someone, somewhere is going to be fuming. Fuming and raging and throwing a tanty, because neither of these teams are in a good place, and things could get gnarly if and when it gets even worse. If Chelsea lose, it’ll be seven league defeats on the bounce, a run of misery suffered just once before in their history, and that 74 years ago, so imagine the ire if that transpires. But should they snap that run against Liverpool, an abject shower at Old Trafford last weekend losing their fifth match in eight, it’ll be the home fans telling each other, and the phone-ins, and the internet, exactly how they see it. Oh my. So whoever you support, whether or not you have any skin in the game, an afternoon of wild emotional tumult stretches out ahead of us all. Kick-off is at 12.30pm BST. It’s on!
