Overview
Chelsea vs Liverpool is always one of the focal matches, regardless of the context. However, the encounter this weekend is even more notable as both teams are eager to find a positive result.
Enzo Maresca's side were a bit reassured by defeating Benfica in the Champions League in midweek, after two consecutive defeats to Manchester United and Brighton in the Premier League. This is the third time under Maresca that Chelsea have suffered consecutive losses in the tournament. The Blues have not lost 3 consecutive Premier League matches since a series of 4 defeats in April and May 2023.
However, the issue of discipline continues to be a concern. Joao Pedro received a second yellow card and was sent off in injury time against Benfica, after Chelsea were also sent off against Man United and Brighton.
Since the start of last season, Chelsea have been the team with the most free cards in the Premier League (114 yellow cards, 4 red cards). Of the coaches who have led the team for more than 20 games, only Mauricio Pochettino has a higher percentage of free kicks per game (2.9) than Maresca (2.7).
Trevoh Chalobah's red card in the 1-3 loss to Brighton means the centre-back will be suspended and join the Blues' long-term absence list. Wesley Fofana and Andrey Santos could return, but Tosin Adarabioyo, Levi Colwill, Liam Delap and most importantly Cole Palmer are all definitely not present.
On Liverpool's side, the situation of the force is not much better. Goalkeeper Alisson Becker was injured in the match against Galatasaray in midweek. Arne Slot has almost confirmed his absence. The ability to play of Hugo Ekitike and Federico Chiesa is still uncertain, while young centre-back Giovanni Leoni is likely to miss the rest of the season.
Losing both options as a striker could make Liverpool struggling, especially with Alexander Isak still racing for fitness. Despite only coming off the bench in midweek, the Swedish striker is expected to start at Stamford Bridge - where he has had impressive moments in the past.
Isak has scored in both of his last two Premier League appearances at Stamford Bridge, both of which came against Newcastle. Liverpool fans will certainly hope that scenario does not become a problem if the Swedish striker continues to score.
Chelsea also have unfavorable statistics. The Blues have lost four of their last five home Premier League games against defending champions. They have also lost three Premier League games in 2025 despite being the team that opened the scoring - the most in a single year since 2018. Therefore, even if they had a goal to lead in this match, Chelsea were uncertain to have 3 points in hand.
After a 3-1 win in May, Chelsea have the opportunity to have 2 consecutive victories against Liverpool in the Premier League for the first time since November 2014 - when they stopped their opponent's 3-match winning streak. However, to do that, The Blues need to maintain maximum focus until the final whistle.
Head-to-head record
Liverpool have not won in their last 4 Premier League matches at Stamford Bridge and are at risk of losing to Chelsea away for 2 consecutive seasons. This has not happened to them since a series of 3 consecutive failures from 2004 2005 to 2006-2007.
However, the failure in May needs to be viewed in a different context. At that time, The Kop had won the Premier League early, so there was not much motivation left, while Chelsea had to fight to qualify for the Champions League.
Notably, Arne Slot's team did not win any of the 4 rounds after winning the championship (2 draws, 2 losses), showing that their quality and fighting spirit have declined somewhat in the final stages of the season.
Before that, Liverpool had a streak of 10 consecutive unbeaten matches against Chelsea in all competitions, and have only lost 1 of their last 13 Premier League confrontations.
Score prediction: Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool
The match between Chelsea and Liverpool takes place at 11:30 p.m. on October 4 (Vietnam time).
