Over the past few Premier League seasons, we've often discussed the chances of Chelsea and Liverpool to win the title, but unfortunately for both of my old clubs, I don't see them having anything to do with winning the Premier League this season.
On the cards, this is the most high-profile game in the Premier League's first-round order, and all eyes will be on Stamford Bridge on Sunday. With both teams in transition and both reorganizing their squads, it will be a difficult game to predict.
This will be Pudjitenu's 1st official home game for new owners Chelsea, and I can't wait to see how he lines up his regular 11.
Chelsea's performance in the pre-season warm-ups was quite impressive, and unlike the 3-center formation used in the past few seasons, Puttetino has been sticking to his favorite 4-3-3 formation. I think they look more organized when they have the ball at their feet and when they are trying to fight back against the opposing team's possession, and I believe that everyone can benefit from the stability that this formation brings to Chelsea as well.
Chelsea's front three is definitely something to look forward to, and the center of the field, Nicholas Jackson, seems to be a wise acquisition, but the real problem is the two wings around him. Nicholson's injury will be a huge blow to Chelsea, and it is likely that Puttetino will make up his mind to play two purely wing players, Medillin and Staanen, who have gone down to the wire. Medilli made his debut for Chelsea in last season's visit to Liverpool, and he looked to be in very good shape at that time. From the pre-season warm-up matches, he has almost returned to his former form, and I think he will be able to make a difference in this game.
On the other side of the fence, Liverpool's great squad built by Gopp over the past few seasons has been dismantled, and just like Chelsea, we'll be seeing a new-look Liverpool this season.
I think the loss of the valuable experience of players like Jordan Henderson, James Mina, Roberto Firmino and Fabrino will not help them in their quest for a good result this season, and it also means that we'll be seeing a completely different 3-man midfield. For the time being, I have a lot of questions in my mind: How will Suboslal adapt to the EPL? Will Gop move Alexandre Arnault into the center of the midfield? Will Tiago Ajendana stay healthy throughout the season? Will Aleksandar Matyaris play at number 10 or at the back of the net? Is Gap's best position a striker or a midfielder? We know that both teams are looking for a more defensive minded midfielder after each team was poached by the Saudi clubs, and I'm sure Gap's ability to find a solution in the middle of the season.
