Dubai: In what promises to be a tense Premier League encounter, managerless Chelsea will take on Liverpool at Stamford Bridge tomorrow night with both sides looking to bounce back from demoralizing defeats in their last outings.
Chelsea suffered a 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa last Saturday, shortly after Liverpool were handed a 4-1 thrashing by Manchester City. The international break could not have come at a worse time for Chelsea, who had started to find their form in March under manager Graham Potter. However, Villa resumed their winning ways after the break, leaving the Blues with a familiar feeling of disappointment.
11th place
The defeat saw them fall to 11th place in the Premier League table and Potter was relieved of his duties on Sunday evening. Bruno Saltor will temporarily take charge of the team while the search for a permanent successor begins. The Blues now sit 13 points adrift of a place in the top four, following Newcastle United’s win over Manchester United on Sunday.
Despite going ahead through Mohamed Salah against City, Liverpool conceded four goals and slipped to eighth place in the table after Brighton and Brentford overtook them thanks to their 3-3 draw at the Amex.
Sterling could return
Chelsea will be without several key players, including Armando Broja, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Thiago Silva. Raheem Sterling could return for the visitors, while Wesley Fofana may also feature.
Klopp’s midfield options are severely limited, but Roberto Firmino and Darwin Nunez could boost their attacking options.
Neither side will approach this game with much confidence and we could see another tight and uneventful affair. Another stalemate could be on the cards considering their last five meetings have ended in draws. The teams played out a drab goalless draw in January, but with Champions League qualification at stake, they will both have to go all-out to register a much-needed win.
