Clash of the top dogs as Chelsea hosts Liverpool

Chelsea versus Liverpool isn’t one of the traditional big games in the Premier League. This might be due to the fact that both sides have had wildly different eras of success. When Liverpool was the top dog in the 70s and 80s, the Blues were a crisis-ridden club which faced relegation.

The last decade has seen Chelsea’s meteoric rise under owner Roman Abramovich. On the other hand, the Reds are only just emerging from a long run of mediocrity. Tomorrow’s Premier League clash will see both sides competing as equals. They have both started the season well and harbour realistic hopes of fighting for the title.

Sarri (Sarriball) vs Klopp (Gegenpressing)

Managerial styles these days are as recognizable as star players. The Chelsea versus Liverpool will see an intriguing clash of styles.

The team is still adjusting to Maurizio Sarri’s tactics a.k.a Sarri-ball. Sarri-ball at its core is a fast, possession-based style of attacking football. Its most prominent features are short and quick passes designed to move the ball forward as quickly as possible.

Van Dijk has added solidity to the Liverpool backline

This system has brought out the best of Eden Hazard. Freed of the need to track back deep into Chelsea’s half, the Belgian has been reborn. Playing closer to the opposition goal, his goals and assists output have increased dramatically.

It has not been smooth sailing though. Jorginho's role as the regista in Sarri’s system has changed midfield. It has pushed N’Golo Kante into a box-to-box role. Kante is world class at a lot of things except attacking. The reverse is the case for left-back Marcos Alonso. The Spaniard excelled in the wing-back position under Antonio Conte. However, his lack of pace has caused lots of problems for the team.

Gegenpressing has been Jurgen Klopp’s signature style since his early days at SV Mainz. The always-in-motion, full-throttle pressing style has been a big hit among the Kop. It is a system that emphasizes player movement, unlike Sarri-ball where the ball is the primary mover.

After a difficult first few years, Klopp now has the team he always wanted. The additions of Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson Becker seem to have fixed longstanding defensive and goalkeeping problems. The frontline is now more deadly with the return of Daniel Sturridge.

Salah will be Liverpool's main goal threat

What to expect from Chelsea and Liverpool

The Reds currently sit atop the Premier League standings with maximum points from games. Sarri has had a fantastic start to his Chelsea stint with 16 points from his first 6 games.

It will not be a dull game (the last 0-0 draw was in 2008). With Chelsea as the home team and two points behind the Reds, it’s expected that Sarri’s men will seek to take the initiative. This would not be a bad thing from Liverpool’s point of view.

Chelsea’s central defence has not shown supersolidity so far. Liverpool will fancy their chances on the break against the pair of David Luiz and Antonio Rudiger. The game may hinge on who adjusts to the dynamics of the game better. This is an aspect that Chelsea is still struggling with. Liverpool has gotten better at game management. The experience of players like Van Dijk and captain Jordan Henderson has seen the team control games more this season.

Hazard will be eager to score another wonder goal

While Liverpool’s frontline has been sharing the goals around, Chelsea’s strikers have struggled for goals (just 1 from Alvaro Morata and none for Olivier Giroud). A fit-again Pedro and Hazard may be the ones carrying the goal threat for the home side.

Too much cannot be read into Chelsea’s victory in midweek. It was in the Carabao Cup after all and featured changed teams on both sides. This is a proper top-of-the-table clash with more at stake.