MatchThe opposition lowdown: Chelsea

Season so far

Chelsea sat eighth in the standings ahead of this round of fixtures, with eight points.

The Blues have an even two wins, two draws and two defeats from their six outings this season.

Last time out in the Premier League, they were beaten 3-1 by Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge.

However, Chelsea overcame Benfica 1-0 at home in midweek in Champions League action.

Key players

Enzo Fernandez is the hosts' top goalscorer so far this season having netted three times alongside one assist in nine appearances.

Joao Pedro, meanwhile, is Chelsea's leading contributor overall after finding the back of the net twice and providing three assists.

Trevoh Chalobah, Moises Caicedo and Cole Palmer have all scored on two occasions.

Previous meetings

Liverpool and Chelsea traded victories last season in the Premier League.

The Reds were beaten 3-1 at Stamford Bridge in May having already secured the title, with Virgil van Dijk their scorer.

At Anfield last October, Liverpool prevailed 2-1 thanks to a Mohamed Salah penalty and goal from Curtis Jones.

Team news

Enzo Maresca says he will be without 'seven or eight players' for the contest.

Palmer is absent through injury, while Chalobah will miss the game due to suspension.

Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Liam Delap, Dario Essugo, Wesley Fofana and Andrey Santos have all been sidelined for the Blues.

What they said

Chelsea head coach Maresca

"I consider them the best team, at this moment, in England. We are improving, trying to solve problems and find solutions. At the end, we are going to be there close.

"It's about continuing to evolve. Our defensive line was very good last year. In terms of goals conceded, we were after Liverpool and Arsenal, so it showed we did something important, but it's not enough.

"You always have to try to evolve, to try to add things, and to try to do better. Now, we are trying to do exactly the same."

Pre-match stats

• Chelsea have won just one of the last 11 meetings between the clubs in all competitions (seven draws, three Liverpool victories). However, it was the most recent clash, in May.
• Fernandez has been directly involved in 10 Premier League goals in 2025 so far (six goals, four assists). Only Bruno Fernandes (11) has more goals and assists among central midfielders.
• Five of the Blues' 11 league goals this term have come from corners.
• Maresca's side have recorded the highest passing accuracy figure in the division so far this season (87.4 per cent).