Liverpool v Chelsea is definitely a game to watch out for in recent seasons, as my two former hosts have often ended on a sour note in recent seasons.
We must first respond to Gop's announcement that he will be leaving the Reds at the end of the season. He has won everything at Liverpool and will leave as a club legend. I'm sad to see him go, after all, he's a man of character and even an outstanding leader.
I think Kopp's departure has made Liverpool even more of a threat this season, as the team will be fighting for him. They are in incredible form right now, unbeaten in 14 league matches since they lost to Tottenham earlier in the season.
In fact, they are undefeated in 17 home matches this season on all fronts, with only Arsenal and Manchester United coming back with draws, which shows how strong a fortress Anfield is, and what a tough task it will be for Chelsea.
Despite Mohamed Sana's injury in the African Cup of Nations, many were worried about how the Reds would respond, but they seem to be unaffected at all as several different players have been able to share the load, making this Liverpool side even more dangerous. In the 4 games that Sana has been out, Liverpool have scored 14 goals, with Diago Zuda, Gap, Darwin Nunes, Luis Diaz and Gudrun José all scoring 2 goals or more.
On the other hand, Chelsea is not as extravagant as the Reds. Although they are a very dominant team, they are also a team that constantly wastes chances.
Despite losing only 2 of their last 10 outings (Chelsea tried to do the same 3 months ago), their last EFL Cup match against Villa once again highlighted the fact that they lost a lot of points in the league or chances of advancing in the Cup due to their frequent mistakes in front of the goal.
The return of Chivier will be crucial for the Blue Warriors as they provide some balance at the back, which is crucial especially given the way Chelsea play. We haven't seen the likes of Livi Govir or Assoudischas stacking up behind Staanen or Medilli yet, but when you put in Malgousto and Chivier, who are eager to assist, in those positions, I'm sure you'll start to see Chelsea stacking up on the sidelines more often than not for the rest of the season.
