3. The midfield war
Apologies if this one sounds a bit vague, but it would be impossible to pick out just one or two individuals from the middle of the park. By all accounts, this game should be decided by the midfield battle.
Chelsea’s midfield will be unrecognisable from the one that was dominated by the Reds in July. N’Golo Kante is back after an injury-plagued season, playing the full 90 minutes in the opening weekend victory. On top of this, Chelsea’s Player of the Season—Mateo Kovacic—looks set to return to the starting XI following suspension. Joining the two midfield generals is youngster Kai Havertz—anyone heard of him? Jokes aside, Chelsea’s record signing had a fairly quiet debut against Brighton, but could be crucial in unlocking Liverpool’s solid midfield. Havertz’s 18 goal contributions and 119 attempted dribbles in last season’s Bundesliga should be more than enough to excite even the most underwhelmed Blues fan.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have a wealth of box-to-box midfield talent. Skipper and talisman Jordan Henderson had the best season of his life last campaign and will be looking to reinvigorate his side following last week’s shambolic display. Alongside him Georginio Wijnaldum continues to shine amid talk of a potential exit; while the anchor that is Fabinho will be looking to keep Havertz and the Chelsea attack at bay. If that wasn’t enough, the likes of Nabi Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain will be ready and waiting on the bench (or possibly starting, for that matter), meaning it will be a tiring afternoon for Kante and the crew. One shining beacon of joy is that Chelsea gets to go to war with Liverpool’s midfield before it is further bolstered by the addition of Thiago Alcantara.
Both sides have an excess of talent to aid them in what is sure to be an epic clash in the middle of the pitch while the duels between Werner and Van Dijk and Arrizabalaga and the Liverpool attack mean that there is excitement to be had, wherever the ball is.
What are some key clashes you’re going to keep an eye on in the match? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!