The Pride of London
Fansided

Chelsea three key clashes vs. Liverpool: The midfield war

By Matthew Hancock-Bruce

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 22: Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield on July 22, 2020 in Liverpool, 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 Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JULY 22: Mateo Kovacic of Chelsea looks on during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Chelsea FC at Anfield on July 22, 2020 in Liverpool, 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 Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 3
Next
Chelsea’s German striker Timo Werner is pictured during the pre-season friendly football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England on August 29, 2020. – The game is a ‘pilot’ event where a small number of fans will be present on a socially-distanced basis. The aim is to get fans back into stadiums in the Premier League by October. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images)
Chelsea’s German striker Timo Werner is pictured during the pre-season friendly football match between Brighton and Hove Albion and Chelsea at the American Express Community Stadium in Brighton, southern England on August 29, 2020. – The game is a ‘pilot’ event where a small number of fans will be present on a socially-distanced basis. The aim is to get fans back into stadiums in the Premier League by October. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) (Photo by GLYN KIRK/AFP via Getty Images) /

2. Timo Werner vs. Virgil van Dijk

When the best defender in the world is faced with stopping one of the most prolific strikers around, it’s always sure to be exciting. Last Saturday, Virgil van Dijk had arguably one of his worst performances in a Liverpool shirt, and that’s in spite of scoring a fearsome header. It is fair to say that van Dijk was wholly responsible for Leeds’ second goal. A long ball over the top should’ve been dealt with easily by the former UEFA Player of the Year, but van Dijk failed to control it, which allowed the often-misfiring Patrick Bamford to level the score. As such, the Dutch defender will have a point to prove in week two.

On the flip side, Timo Werner goes into the game desperate for a maiden competitive goal for the club. Werner impressed on his league debut, winning a penalty early on to make sure the Blues started the season with a win. The German striker scored 34 goals in all competitions last season, so it’s reasonable to expect similar numbers this time round. Werner had five shots in the opening fixture, however, only one of these was on target. You can’t question Werner’s overall talent though. His ability to connect play and make runs was more than apparent in week one, but he’ll need to be a bit more selective with his shot choice if he’s to get his goal tally underway.

Unfortunately for Chelsea’s new No.11, he will probably have the toughest challenge of his career this Sunday. While van Dijk had a poor opening match, there is absolutely no reason to believe he will replicate that performance against Chelsea. Last season, Liverpool conceded just 33 goals in the Premier League, managing 15 clean sheets in the process. Fortunately for the Blues, they were responsible for five of those goals. With Chelsea’s attack having enjoyed a massive facelift this summer, spearheaded by Werner, there is reason to be optimistic.

Home/Chelsea FC News