Liverpool vs Chelsea: 3 things to look out for

Chelsea currently sits 6th in the league table and will climb to second with a win tomorrow against Arne Slot’s Liverpool, but that is dependent on Manchester City losing against Wolverhampton Wanderers on the same day.

Liverpool has the best defense in the league, but Chelsea is going to be the Reds’ first big test since the season started, having faced Ipswich, Brentford, Man United, Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth, Wolves, and Crystal Palace. However, as the Blues prepare to face their derby rivals, here are three things to look out for:

Chelsea’s Attack vs Liverpool’s Defense

The Blues' attack seems to be the best in the league so far, scoring 16 goals—one goal higher than the champions, Man City. These numbers don’t look suspicious until you realize the Blues actually rank 9th for shots and 5th for shots on target.

This suggests that an overwhelmingly large proportion of their shots are on target. This is not sustainable, and coming up against a defensively disciplined Liverpool side will ensure that Enzo Maresca’s men are almost completely guaranteed to get fewer shots off, and even fewer on target.

Liverpool, for its part, ranks high in both shots faced and shots on target faced, having kept more clean sheets than anyone else in the league so far, with five clean sheets in the first seven games. This is an impressive ratio. Liverpool has saved 92% of the shots it has faced this season; for Chelsea, that figure is 12% lower (80%).

Chelsea also ranks four places below Liverpool in expected goals against (xGA), with Liverpool in first place.

Finishing

Chelsea is currently averaging a finishing rate that is completely unsustainable (16%). This may seem superb to some, but over a 38-game season, 16% has been proven—time and again—to be unsustainable.

This number is also interesting because the Blues’ big chance conversion has been poor. Chelsea has missed about 59% of the big chances they’ve created. In fact, the Blues have missed four big chances in at least three different games.

Marc Cucurella vs Mohamed Salah

The Cucurella-Salah matchup should be exciting considering the pace and trickery of the former. The Egyptian forward is Liverpool’s biggest goal threat, and stopping him would give Maresca’s men a chance to leave Anfield with the desired result.