Chelsea v Liverpool: Preview, Odds, Predictions (April 4)

Initial Thoughts

Two Premier League giants reduced to mid-table strugglers, Chelsea v Liverpool has the makings of a messy and confusing game.

The Narrative

When Chelsea owner Todd Boehly recruited Brighton’s Graham Potter on a five year deal back in September last year more than a few eyebrows were raised at the appointment.

Out went Thomas Tuchel, who as Chelsea manager had won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup, and in came a coach without a single honour in English football. 

Boehly thought he knew best, but all the rules of football thought otherwise. 

Finally relieved of his post on Saturday, Potter’s 206 days at the helm make his tenure the briefest in the club’s history, and Chelsea now find themselves in the bottom half of the table at this point in the season for the first time in 18 years.

That wouldn't be so bad if Boehly hadn’t also spent over £500M on players - bringing in the likes of World Cup winner Enzo, Atletico Madrid’s Joao Felix and apparently-the-next-big-thing Mykhailo Mudryk.

None of the above have hit the ground running and you get the sense even Harry Potter would struggle to get some magic out of this depressed and dejected squad.

Exactly the same sentiment applies to Liverpool as well, who are also struggling to adjust to an unfamiliar mid-table reality, having already lost more than four times as many games as they did last season.

Klopp’s side come into Tuesday night’s game having suffered three defeats in a row in all competitions, the last of which being a 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City on Saturday.

The Reds haven’t finished outside the top four since Jurgen Klopp’s first season in charge back in the 2015-16 campaign. But the prospect of no European football next year looks like a distinct possibility as Liverpool continue to choke in matches they would have routinely won last in any of the last three campaigns.

Nuts and Bolts

(Some guy called) Bruno Saltor will take charge of Chelsea on Tuesday night, with the West London side having won just two of the last 16 Premier League meetings between the two sides.

Chelsea have lost each of their last four matches at home, but Liverpool have only one win in their last seven games on the road.

With only 29 goals this season and their lowest shot conversion rate in history, Chelsea’s attack is looking blunt to say the least, while Liverpool have already conceded seven more goals than they did across the entire 2021/22 campaign.

But the last meeting between these two sides was a drab 0-0 draw - the fifth time on the bounce that Liverpool and Chelsea have shared the points.

It’s hard to see how a new (interim) manager bounce will give Chelsea’s expensive assembled and but out-if-sorts squad a list, while making any prediction about a Liverpool resurgence seems also unlikely.

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This game could play out like two nervous sides trying not to mess up yet again.....

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Homestand Picks

All odds courtesy of Northstar Bets

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Liverpool under 3.5 shots on target (+120)

The Reds have managed a total of only six shots across their last two games.

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Tie (+255)

With both sides out of sorts and desperately hoping to avoid defeat we’re picking another drab draw on Tuesday night.

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