Two things to watch out for in the Chelsea vs. Liverpool Premier League clash

Chelsea are going to face Liverpool in their first Premier League match of the 2023-24 season at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, August 13. It is also going to be the first big match of the season and the Blues will try to put the disastrous 2022-23 season behind them with a good start under newly appointed manager Mauricio Pochettino.

However, their job is not going to be easy against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool. Both teams have had a lot of players leaving and are currently going through a rebuilding phase.

On that note, let us take a look at two things to watch for in the match:

#1. Chelsea’s defence will have to weather a storm:

Chelsea will be heavily dependent of their defensive unit in the game, given the inexperience in their attack. Their back four will have to hold firm against the likes of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo. With Alexis Mac Allister and Dominic Szoboszlai hoining the midfield, one can expect Liverpool to give emphasis on playing short passes.

However, both Salah and Nunez will try to cut in through the inside channels, thereby increasing the pressure on the Chelsea centre-backs. The veteran Thiago Silva will have to play a major role in this regard and Enzo Fernandez will also have to provide adequate support to him. It will not be an overstatement to say that the battle will take place between Liverpool’s attack and Chelsea’s defence.

#2. The battle of the full-backs should be interesting to watch:

Both the teams have a pair of very good full-backs each and it should be an absorbing battle on the flanks between them. Chelsea will rely on Reece James and Ben Chilwell to make probing overlapping runs.

However, Liverpool also have Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson in their ranks and their threat will be amplified by the presence of Salah and Nunez on the flanks. Hence, James and Chilwell will have to be cautious and cannot afford to be too aggressive.

The job of Chelsea’s defensive midfielders will be crucial in this regard, as they will have to give cover to their full-backs. The ability of Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones to distribute the ball properly and quickly to their forwards will be very important for Liverpool. It remains to be seen how well Klopp’s team can do that. It will also be interesting to watch Chelsea’s response in this regard.