The footballing world waits yet again in anticipation as Jurgen Klopp’s floundering Liverpool get ready to host Antonio Conte’s flying Chelsea. Irrespective of the results of their respective results in the FA Cup, the game holds great importance and unlike recent times, where it has been more about pride, this time, it is about the position on the Premier League table.
While Chelsea sit atop the table with a massive advantage of eight points over their nearest rivals Arsenal, the three consecutive games in February against Liverpool, Arsenal, and Burnley could easily wipe their advantage off. Liverpool, on the other hand, have slipped down the table having drawn consecutive games against Sunderland and Manchester United before losing at home to Swansea.
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With just 2 points separating the Reds from the 5th placed Manchester City, it is time Jurgen Klopp get his team up and revving again to ensure European football next season.
Coming back to their next league fixture, it is never easy playing Chelsea and given their form, it is even harder in the current times. In this segment, we bring to you three key battles that could determine the game between the two English heavyweights.
#1 Joel Matip vs Diego Costa
Diego Costa returned to the starting line-up against Hull City after having a training ground bust-up with his manager Antonio Conte and instantly proved to the footballing world why he is one of the finest strikers in Europe at the moment. The Spaniard has put behind an indifferent last season and is having a great one this time around as he leads the scoring charts with 15 goals in 20 appearances.
On Tuesday evening, the former Atletico Madrid man will go head to head against the Cameroonian Joel Matip, who is expected to be back in the starting line-up after FIFA cleared him to continue playing for Liverpool and we believe it will be a feisty affair.
Costa has a way of getting under the skin of defenders with his aggression and physical approach often proving to be a great asset in ensuring the opposition defenders lose focus. While Matip has shown a tendency to remain calm even in distraught situations, it must not be forgotten that he is combative when needed and sparks could fly.
With Liverpool’s defence being leaky, it is time for Matip to step up and prove his worth as the leader of the defence for his side. Costa, on the other hand, will be keen to utilise the opposition’s weakness and pile some further misery on his former suitors (Costa was believed to be very close to the Anfield side a few seasons ago).
#2 Philippe Coutinho vs N’Golo Kante
When N’Golo Kante swapped the blue of Leicester City for that of Chelsea, there was a fair bit of excitement amongst the Chelsea faithful and deservedly so. Kante had been phenomenal in Leicester’s title winning run and in a short span of time, had established himself as one of the finest midfielders in the Premier League.
However, very few fans and pundits anticipated the enormity of the impact Kante could have on this Chelsea unit. The Frenchman has proved to be an able midfield general for Antonio Conte’s men as he constantly frustrates the opposition by breaking up play with a mix of tackles, interceptions and harmless fouls.
In the season thus far, he has effected 39 tackles and an impressive 52 interceptions to help his side assert their dominance in the middle of the park. With Kante also showing his creative instincts, he is soon turning into a complete midfielder.
On Tuesday, however, Kante will have his task cut out when he is handed the responsibility of containing Liverpool’s creator-in-chief Philippe Coutinho. The Brazilian signed a new contract with the club committing his future at Anfield until the end of the 2021-22 season and will be keen to prove to the footballing world why he is rated so highly at the club with a match-winning performance against Chelsea.
Liverpool have endured a tough January and Coutinho will definitely need to break the shackles that come with facing Kante to ensure his side can eke out a positive result against the pace-setters.
#3 Jurgen Klopp vs Antonio Conte
This is a game that would probably attract as much attention off the pitch as it can on it with the exhuberant German Jurgen Klopp going against the Italian tactician Antonio Conte. This is set to be a tale of two different managers with different approaches to the game - a game that will be filled with off the field events and antics.
Yet, tactics remain the most important part of this fixture. While Klopp has been in the firing line after his side have let their good first half slip through their fingers over the course of the last few weeks, Conte has proved to be the catalyst for his side’s rise to prominence after putting behind an indifferent start to the season.
While Conte is expected to continue with his favored 3-4-3 formation in the game, it is Klopp, who has a selection headache having seen his side put in underwhelming performances over recent times.
Does he continue with the misfiring Daniel Sturridge? Will he start countryman Emre Can in the middle of the park alongside Jordan Henderson despite the advice of former Liverpool mainstay Jamie Carragher? How will he cope with the threat of the wing-backs and how will his side breach the 3 men central defense Chelsea are expected to field? We will have to wait and watch if Klopp can answer these questions.
There are problems aplenty for the German and the game against the Italian manager who has fine-tuned his side into dominating games does not come at the right time. Conte has already proven to be the difference between the Chelsea of this season and the last and he will be keen to extend his good run against old foes Liverpool.
