This is not only a clash between two great men in English football, it is also a test of the bravery of two captains Arne Slot and Enzo Maresca, in the context that their teams all have worrying weaknesses.
Liverpool are losing their solidity
Since the beginning of the season, Liverpool has maintained its leading position in the Premier League rankings. However, signs of instability are becoming increasingly clear. After the defeat to Galatasaray in the Champions League and the loss to Crystal Palace in the Premier League, Arne Slot was forced to admit that The Kop should have had better results but they went in the wrong direction at decisive moments.
The defense was Liverpool's solid foundation last season but has become the "achilles heel" this season. In 10 matches since the beginning of the season in all competitions, they have only kept a clean sheet twice, compared to 6 times in the same period last season.
Ibrahima Konate has made continuous personal mistakes that have caused Alisson to work overtime and even suffer injuries. With rookie Giovanni Leoni with a long-term injury, Slot has a difficult choice when continuing to put his trust in Konate, instead of giving Joe Gomez the opportunity to pair up with Van Dijk.
The left wing is also a problem with Milos Kerkez still inexperienced, while the absence of Andy Robertson leaves a big gap in his character. On the opposite wing, Dominik Szoboszlai was pulled back right-back but this unintentionally weakened the midfield.
Static from Florian Wirtz bottleneck
Liverpool used to fly high thanks to the midfield structure of Gravenberch - Mac Allister - Szoboszlai last season. However, the appearance of Florian Wirtz for £116 million forced Arne Slot to change. The German star has not scored or assisted after 8 matches, he seems to be lost in the system at his new team. Expectations have reduced the 22-year-old's confidence.
In the context of Mac Allister not being physically fit enough, Gravenberch cannot carry the midfield alone, Liverpool lacks the necessary balance. The rotation also made it difficult for the clubs to maintain harmony. Mohamed Salah was left on the bench in the match against Galatasaray, causing a lot of controversy. Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitike are not sharp enough to replace the Egyptian star's right-wing influence.
Liverpool's attack squandered opportunities
The common point in Liverpool's two recent failures is the waste in finishing. Ekitike and Gakpo both missed decade-long chances against Galatasaray, while blockbuster Alexander Isak has yet to integrate well. The lack of explosive attack puts more pressure on Arne Slot, especially when the upcoming opponent is Chelsea, a team that plays a tough counter-attacking defense.
Chelsea and the striker crisis
If Liverpool have a headache in defense, Chelsea will suffer in attack. It is hard to believe that they have spent more than £1 billion in the past 3 years but have entered the Champions League group stage with the number one choice in attack, Tyrique George. This is just a 19-year-old talent who has never been trained to play as a center forward.
George played 60 minutes against Benfica, only touching the ball 15 times and having exactly 1 shot. Chelsea won thanks to an own goal, while George's performance left many doubts. However, Enzo Maresca still confirmed that the English star could continue to play as a center forward against Ajax, because he does not have many options.
The main cause comes from personnel incidents. Liam Delap suffered a serious hamstring injury and was out until November. Joao Pedro has also lost form and has just received a suspension. Nicolas Jackson has been loaned to Bayern Munich. Other names such as Marc Guiu, David Datro Fofana and Emanuel Emegha are not ready or have not registered to compete.
In that context, Maresca was forced to rely on patchwork options such as Pedro Neto or young talent Shim Mheuka, a player who is only 17 but has scored 10 goals for the U21 team.
Unfortunate red cards
In addition, Enzo Maresca's team has also left a bad impression after being awarded 3 red cards in the last 4 matches, including 2 defeats against Man United and Brighton in the Premier League.
Joao Pedro's red card to Benfica was Maresca's final warning as he could not let his players continue to be sent off. Previously, statistics recorded that Chelsea under Maresca received red cards in 4 of the last 5 losses in all competitions. With 11 men on the pitch, the Blues have not lost a single Premier League game in the past 7 months.
