Chelsea predictions: Suffering with the ball in Carabao Cup opener

Chelsea open the Carabao Cup at Anfield against Liverpool. Despite expecting Jurgen Klopp to field his B or C team, our confidence is a bit low for the first of two meetings in five days against the Reds.

Jurgen Klopp says not to overlook Chelsea, while Maurizio Sarri says Chelsea will not be playing like Liverpool for another year. We’re inclined to believe the Blues’ boss, and expect a painful week at the hands of the Reds.

Barrett Rouen: Liverpool 1 – 2 Chelsea. I don’t ever predict Chelsea lose because I don’t like to put that sort of thing in the atmosphere, but the truth is this will be a tough game. I’m gutted Ruben Loftus-Cheek is injured yet again for a match that he surely would have started, impressed in and used to make impressions for the future. That said, Ethan Ampadu and Callum Hudson-Odoi will get good run outs and show perhaps they’re the key to the next phase at Stamford Bridge.

Hugo Amaya: 2 – 1. The next domino sadly falls. Despite his starters picking up two injuries already, Sarri brings a really strong squad yet again. And with some tired legs among them, another injury is bound to happen. Alhough the game will be pretty open since Liverpool love to attack and Chelsea love to keep possession, the Blues will look edgy. The game will be tied at 1-1 in the first half, before Liverpool deliver the final blow. While this will turn out as a great learning experience for Sarri, it will come at a price.

Nate Hofmann: 2 – 0. Jurgen Klopp likes to call his style of play “heavy metal football.” By the same logic, Manchester City play something akin to free-form jazz under Pep Guardiola. Chelsea, at least thus far this season, play “trap music football.” There’s the occasional moment of excitement and satisfaction, but it’s mostly just tedious noise, lacking of any real direction or focus, while posing as creative and progressive.

Regardless of who takes the field for either side, Liverpool will be more than happy to let Chelsea pass their way around the field, knowing they’ll be provided with plenty of opportunities to win the ball high up the pitch to get in behind Chelsea’s scrambling defenders. It’s a gameplan they execute as well as any club in the world at the moment, and better teams than Chelsea will likely fall prey to it this season. Fingers crossed that Ampadu, Hudson-Odoi, and Andreas Christensen at least get a run-out. Count on a pretty uninspiring 90 minutes overall.

At least we can look ahead to an easier time this weekend against… oh.

Abhishek Pancholi: 3 – 0. In the words of the inimitable Michael Scott, we’ve been cruisin’ for a bruisin’ for a while now, and Klopp will be the cruise director. Liverpool will likely put out a heavily-rotated side, but even that will prove to be too strong for Chelsea-B. The whupping might be worth it in the long run if Ethan Ampadu and Callum Hudson-Odoi get a full game. Otherwise it will just be the start of a painful few days of suffering with the ball.

Kevin Peacock: 1 – 0. Hell would have to freeze over before I so much as give Liverpool a sniff of anything (checks past predictions….. all good). There are never many goals in these Blue and Red games despite Liverpool being the “best of the best” and able to score at will.

Sarri really does need this win more than Klopp, who will be more interested in the weekend’s league encounter. Big-time, big-game player Alvaro Morata bags the winner.

Scott Brant: 3 – 2. I don’t know who will be starting or what to expect from this match. The only thing I do know is Chelsea are trending in the wrong direction. They have looked progressively worse and worse, match by match. Should be some fun end-to-end action.

Charlie Dawson: 1 – 2. Callum Hudson-Odoi and Xherdan Shaqiri to score and Ross Barkley to get a goal or assist. Yes, this is more wishful thinking than anything!