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The tastiest match in England this week will see Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge, a place echoing vibes very disparate to that of last season when Chelsea were on cloud nine as they were crowned champions.
Chelsea will be under pressure to get a result from the game as they are fighting desperately to finish in the top 4 and play Champions League football next season.
It is a match that Chelsea simply must win if they are to have any chance of the same and even if they manage to beat the Reds, their hopes lie on either Liverpool or Spurs dropping points in the games that remain. Tough odds, to say the least.
Liverpool, on the other hand, will be heading into the showdown in very high spirits after reaching the final of the UEFA Champions League and will be hoping to cement their top-four position.
A draw will not be a bad result for Liverpool but Chelsea have everything to fight for in what is bound to be a very feisty affair between the two clubs.
So, on that note, here is a look at 3 key battles that will have a major say in deciding the outcome of the match:
#3 Olivier Giroud vs Virgil van Dijk
The battle between the January signings!
Many people believe it is a gamble to make big changes to the squad in the January transfer market but two players who have recently put that notion to bed are Giroud and Van Dijk.
Giroud was signed form Arsenal and despite a slow start to life at his new club, the Frenchman has been playing well in the past couple of months and has even ousted record signing Alvaro Morata from the starting lineup.
Liverpool's defensive crisis led Jurgen Klopp to splash out a world-record €78.8 million for Van Dijk and the decision to do so has paid dividends. He has undoubtedly strengthened their defence and has been pivotal in their march towards the Champions League final.
Giroud has scored 4 goals and has assisted 3 times in 14 appearances for the club and he will be looking to get the better of Van Dijk physically and in aerial combats in a bid to bring glory to Chelsea.
This is going to be a brilliant battle between the two throughout the game and will certainly be a battle to watch out for.
#2 N'Golo Kante vs Jordan Henderson
It's no secret that football games are often won in midfield. Many a time overlooked by most people, the midfield is usually the engine that keeps the system running.
While Kante is the destructor ready to chase down opponents and win back the ball at any cost, Jordan Henderson has evolved to be the calming presence behind an attack that is tearing apart Europe's top defences.
Kante has racked up 3.4 tackles and 2.3 interceptions while Henderson has been involved in 2.0 tackles and 1.1 interceptions per game. Kante also boasts a pass success rate of 89.6%, better than the 83.7% the Englishman has to his name.
It will be an interesting match-up as the free-flowing Liverpool attack will look to make things hard for a sturdy, rigid setup that has proved to be resolute in the past.
And at the middle of the park will be two players ready to bring their A-game to the table putting cent-percent effort to emerge victorious.
(all figures from www.whoscored.com)
#1 Marcos Alonso vs Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah has taken the Premier League by storm this season following his arrival from Roma and is breaking records like a maniac at the moment!
The Egyptian has been voted as the PFA Player of the Season and the FWA Footballer of the Year and has scored 31 goals this season- equalling the record for most goals in a 38 game season.
He returned to Roma midweek and helped Liverpool reach the UEFA Champions League final and it is another homecoming on the cards for the winger this week as he returns to Stamford Bridge, where he spent a couple of years.
It is Marcos Alonso who will be entrusted with the responsibility of keeping Salah quiet- something not many defenders have been able to do this season. Alonso returns from a 3-match suspension and is likely to replace Emerson Palmieri who has stepped up in his absence.
Alonso was voted into the PFA Team of the Season and he will want to justify his selection, which has baffled many. Alonso is also a major offensive threat as well and can be found in very advanced positions very often which may see Salah being asked to track him back, thereby causing a slight change in his role.
If Alonso and Chelsea can keep Salah quiet, then half the battle is won.
