The Liverpool-Chelsea clash has undoubtedly been the highlight of recent seasons, especially considering that my former hosts have often managed to say goodbye in a peaceful manner over the seasons.
Firstly, we have to deal with the announcement that Gopp is leaving Liverpool at the end of the season. He has won all the honors here and leaves as a club legend. I'm very sad to see him go, he's a leader full of character and a brilliant coach.
Gopp's departure has actually made Liverpool stronger this season, as the entire roster will do their best for him. They are in incredible form at the moment, winning all 14 league games since losing away to Tottenham earlier in the season.
In fact, they are also unbeaten in 17 matches at home this season, with only Arsenal and Manchester United able to compete, showing how impenetrable the Anfield Stadium is, which will certainly be a huge challenge for Chelsea.
Despite Mohamed Sana's injury in the Afcon, many were concerned about the Reds' coping strategy, but they don't seem to have suffered. Several different players have shared the load and made Liverpool stronger. In the 4 games that Sana has been out, Liverpool have scored 14 goals, with Diago Zuda, Gap, Darwin Nunes, Luis Diaz and Gudis Jonges all scoring 2 or more.
In contrast, Chelsea has the advantage but also often misses opportunities.
Despite losing only 2 of their last 10 games, their lack of ability to take chances in front of goal was once again exposed in their most recent EFL Cup match against Villa, which has resulted in the loss of league points and cup promotion chances.
The return of Chivier has been crucial for the Blues, providing the necessary balance at the back which is vital to Chelsea's style of play. While we have yet to see a player like Levi Govier or Assoudischas capable of stacking assists behind Staanen or Medillieu, when Malgoustou and Chivier are subbed in, I'm sure we'll see Chelsea stacking the sidelines more often than not for the rest of the season.
