Thomas Tuchel’s Chelsea comes up against a team that is as famous for pressing other teams as his own teams are, just more established. Jurgen Klopp and Tuchel have managed the same clubs prior to their Premier League managerial careers and are incredibly familiar with one another. This says a lot of about how similar both managers are in terms of tactics and philosophies. Of course, the degree of success both managers will achieve is dependent on a lot more than tactics and philosophies. This is a battle neither German wants to lose, it is a bigger test for the younger German than it is for the Liverpool boss. This match is also a top four six-pointer, if you will.
Tuchel goes into this fixture unbeaten as a Chelsea manager, so who does he trust to keep that status intact?
Edouard Mendy (No. 16) Goalkeeper, Senegal
Edouard Mendy was sharp against Manchester United; save for the moment he swept forward to gather a cutback and spilled it, but he was the first to it, so nothing came of it. There were questions when he was left out of the starting line-up against Newcastle and there was panic, but Tuchel reiterated that Mendy was the starter and he has shown as much. Mendy has not played against Liverpool yet, so a game against Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino will be an essential test for the Senegalese.
Cesar Azpilicueta (No. 28) Right centerback, Spain
Cesar Azpilicueta was mostly solid against Manchester United. His role in that defense is one that Tuchel cannot do without because he’s needed to be defensively solid, which he is, and also to overload the right side. He even sometimes acts as an overlapping right back. Tuchel has given the captain a chance to feature in the starting line-up since he came, and the Spaniard has represented himself well, credit to the former Osasuna man.
Andreas Christensen (No. 4) Centerback, Denmark
Andreas Christensen was Chelsea’s best player against Man United. He literally didn’t put a foot wrong, not losing possession of the ball at all, and recording an incredible 100 percent passing accuracy on his 77 attempted passes. He led the team in blocked shots with three, as well. He frustrated several Man United counter attacks. Suffice it to say, the Dane was exceptional on the day, and while one many argue Man United attackers were off their game, the case can be made that Christensen was the reason it was that way.
Antonio Rudiger (No. 2) Left centerback, Germany
Antonio Rudiger’s distribution was good the last time out. He played his role in a clean sheet against an attack that is famous for getting success against possession-based teams. He won five out of six duels and recorded six defensive actions. The German, like Christensen, is more comfortable in a back three. Rudiger has done himself justice under Tuchel after being benched by Frank Lampard, and no one can argue with his selection any longer. Amongst many things, Tuchel will want a defense he can trust, and so far it seems Rudiger is a part of that back line.
Callum Hudson-Odoi (No. 20) Right wingback, England
Callum Hudson-Odoi has had an eventful past few months. He went from not getting nearly enough game time under Lampard, to starting every game for Tuchel, to getting subbed off after being subbed on thirty minutes before, to getting subbed off at halftime due to injury concerns. It has been a difficult 18 months for the youngster and he has done well to come out strong. He has tried his best to hold down the position he has secured in Tuchel’s line-up and he is succeeding so far.
Mateo Kovacic (No. 17) Central midfielder, Croatia
Mateo Kovacic has been one of the most consistent players under Tuchel and it’s easy to see why. The team has been set up in a way that allows Kovacic to flourish and worry more about breaking presses with his dribbles, and less about defending—though he does that too. He has played his role in helping Chelsea dominate opposing midfields. Tuchel seems to trust the Croatian fully and it is safe to say that regardless of whoever comes into or leaves Chelsea, Kovacic will remain in this line-up and his partner will be determined on a game-by-game basis.
N’Golo Kante (No. 7) Central midfielder, France
N’Golo Kante was excellent against Manchester United. He made the most defensive actions, to nobody’s surprise. He made an impressive seven tackles and four interceptions, the most in both metrics. The Frenchman has finally showed the form he hadn’t showed yet under Tuchel. He was key in breaking up Man United’s transitions, killing the Red Devils’ counters and making sure Chelsea kept control of the midfield. He will be needed again against Liverpool, as this midfield battle will be even more difficult than the last one. Kante will come up against Thiago Alcantara, and he will need to be at the top of his game for the Blues to keep a foothold on things at Anfield.
Ben Chilwell (No. 21) Left wingback, England
Ben Chilwell came in for Marcos Alonso against Man United and it can be said it was to nullify—or at least contain—the threat of Daniel James on the counter. It worked perfectly. Liverpool offers a similar threat, so expect a similar line-up. Chilwell’s ability to better get back into defensive positions, even after running forward, will be key in this match. The threat of Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold will need some containing indeed, if it’s even possible. Alonso is still a better left wingback, but the demands of this game are a little different from what a traditional wingback offers.
Mason Mount (No. 19) Right winger, England
Mason Mount has been arguably Chelsea’s best player this season. The 22 year-old attacking midfielder leads the Blues in many creative metrics, though closer scrutiny proves that those numbers are just an indictment of other attackers in the squad. He has been quite consistent and that is perhaps why many fans are willing to let him off the hook when he has the occasional average performance. The perception of some of his performances this season is as much of a reflection of how underwhelming his attacking colleagues have been. Mount has deserved his selection in the team by his own hard work though, and he doesn’t owe that to anyone else’s underperformance.
Olivier Giroud (No. 18) Striker, France
Olivier Giroud is the striker with the most goals under Tuchel, which is not an impressive feat, seeing as the team has only scored 10 goals in 9 games the German has managed. That’s even less impressive seeing as some of those goals have been scored by defenders and midfielders. Giroud’s strength and ability to link up with other attackers might be why he gets the nod in this one. The Frenchman’s strength and height will also help in occupying Liverpool’s centerbacks, and he will be a threat on corners, as well.
Timo Werner (No. 11) Left winger, Germany
Timo Werner has not had excellent performances under Tuchel so far, what he’s had is moments that have changed the game. He has won the most penalties in the league this season, he also has nine direct goal involvements in the league for Chelsea so far. His ability to win penalties will be needed in this game, especially considering that he won one against this same opponents in the reverse fixture on matchday two. His speed will be crucial in dealing with the high line of Liverpool that’ll most likely include the inexperienced pair of Nathaniel Philips and Ozan Kabak.
Who would you name in the starting XI? Let us know in the comments or on Twitter!