Chelsea host Liverpool on Tuesday night at Stamford Bridge. What was a top-four clash just one season ago has now become a battle of mid-table mediocrity. But with the prospect of European football still on the cards for both sides – not forgetting the managerial turmoil in west London – it’s still a game dripping with narrative. We preview the match and reveal the Opta supercomputer’s thoughts in our Chelsea vs Liverpool prediction.
Chelsea vs Liverpool: Quick Hits
Despite poor recent away form, Liverpool predicted to beat Chelsea (40.2%).
This will be the latest in a season Chelsea will have played a match while in the bottom half of the table since 1995-96.
Chelsea vs Liverpool Prediction and Preview
Chelsea’s winless Premier League home run against Liverpool to extend to five games.
Match Preview
Both sides endured such terrible weekends last time out in the Premier League that it’s hard to know where to start with this one.
But let’s begin with the home side. Saturday’s dismal 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa dropped Chelsea into the bottom half of the table and marked the end of Graham Potter’s tenure after just over six months (206 days to be exact) in charge of the club after joining from Brighton.
Chelsea vs Liverpool Prediction and Preview
Potter’s spell at Chelsea was the shortest of any permanent manager at the club, and with a return of just 1.27 points per game, it marks the joint-lowest points-per-game return of any manager to take charge of 20 or more games for Chelsea in the Premier League alongside Glenn Hoddle.
Bruno Saltor will take charge in the interim and his first task will be to lift the Blues out of the bottom half of the standings. With this their 29th match of the season, it’s the latest into a campaign they’ve played a league match while in the bottom half of the table since their penultimate fixture of 1995-96 (11th place – 1-1 vs. Spurs).
Chelsea have wretched recent head-to-head form against Liverpool, too. They’ve won just twice in the sides’ last 16 Premier League meetings and are winless in their last four home league matches.
Saturday was also extremely unhappy for Liverpool.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were downed 4-1 by title-chasing Manchester City in a performance that the manager described as “unacceptable”. Defeat at the weekend marked their third consecutive loss in all competitions and they now sit eighth in the table.
A really tough 2023 has all but ended hopes that Liverpool will end the campaign with a trophy. They’ve lost five of their 11 league games in 2023, more than the Reds lost in the entirety of 2022 and now the promise of Europa League football is the only thing keeping them going.
Liverpool haven’t finished outside the top four since Klopp’s debut season in 2015-16, but that’s something that looks like a real possibility in 2023.
helsea midfielder Mason Mount is back fit to face Liverpool, who are favourites to sign him in the summer.
The 24-year-old midfielder will want to prove a point at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, not just to Liverpool but also Chelsea as his career hits its first major crossroads.
Mount is pushing to play at least 60 minutes under interim head coach Bruno Saltor after overcoming a nagging bruised pelvis.
Graham Potter left him on the bench in three of the last four matches, preferring Joao Felix instead. That fringe status for Mount would have been unthinkable under previous managers but this is a different Chelsea.
Mount will hope for a revival under Bruno but it seems unlikely. Bruno is a coach in Potter’s image and negotiations over a new contract remain stunted.