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Chelsea key clashes at Anfield: Olivier Giroud vs. Virgil van Dijk

By Gabe Henderson

LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Christian Pulisic of Chelsea celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea FC at Selhurst Park on July 07, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Justin Tallis/Pool via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - JULY 07: Christian Pulisic of Chelsea celebrates with teammates after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea FC at Selhurst Park on July 07, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Justin Tallis/Pool via Getty Images) /
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LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 07: Christian Pulisic of Chelsea celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea FC at Selhurst Park on July 07, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Justin Tallis/Pool via Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 07: Christian Pulisic of Chelsea celebrates with teammates after scoring his team’s second goal during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Chelsea FC at Selhurst Park on July 07, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Justin Tallis/Pool via Getty Images) /

Chelsea heads to Anfield for a highly anticipated top four clash. Liverpool has already clinched the title, but the Blues have everything to play for.

Coming off a massive victory over Manchester United in the FA Cup semifinal, Chelsea now has a chance at Anfield to secure a spot in the top four. The Blues’ penultimate game in the Premier League is perhaps the toughest all year. Luckily, Frank Lampard’s side has won nine of its last 11 matches. 

With Leicester’s loss to Tottenham at the weekend, both Chelsea and United control their own destiny. The Blues can relieve any extra pressure with a result away at Liverpool and shift the focus to the FA Cup final. But to do that, they’ll need to win some key clashes:

1. Olivier Giroud vs. Virgil van Dijk

Chelsea’s sizzling form since the restart can largely be attributed to the fantastic play of its veteran striker. Olivier Giroud has silenced all critics, scoring four goals in the Blues’ last five matches. This includes a couple of match winners and go-ahead goals.

Giroud has been bullying back lines in England for nearly a decade and as he gets older, his strength and hold-up play seem to get better. He made Manchester United’s £80 million man tremble in his boots at the weekend. Giroud bullied Harry Maguire up and down the pitch, making him put in a performance so horrendous that it was worthy of a starting spot along Chelsea’s defensive line.

All jokes aside, the focus now switches to what the Frenchman can do against one of the world’s best centerbacks. Virgil van Dijk seldom gets overpowered, but if there’s one man who can test the Dutch center half, it’s Giroud. His hold-up play has been vital to the build-up of Chelsea’s attacking sequences. When receiving the ball nearing the halfway line, the 33-year-old turns his back to goal and allows his wingers and attacking mids pass him by. Then, he dumps the ball off to a facilitating midfielder—like Jorginho—and trots up the pitch to ready himself for a cross.

After a horrendous game against Arsenal, van Dijk will be looking for redemption. If he is able to stop Giroud from making these sorts of runs, or at least limit his aerial success, Chelsea is going to struggle to create chances. Giroud is one of the biggest keys for Chelsea, can he finally be contained by the best defender in the Premier League?

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