Game Week 8 Predictions: Liverpool and Chelsea to settle for a point each?

Liverpool vs. Chelsea preview: Both aim for victory at Anfield in a thrilling encounter. Key injuries, tactics, and predictions for a potential draw.

The battle at Anfield would be a show of Mohammed Salah and ice-cold Palmer, who will come out tops? (Photo credit: Sky Sports)

 Liverpool vs. Chelsea

Anfield

4:30pm

This is a fixture that everyone is eagerly anticipating; you may refer to it as the "bald men" derby or a match between two Premier League rookies; we anticipate an exhilarating and thrilling encounter; let's get started!

The Blues have impressed, despite the gloomy summer that saw them bring in tons of players and then place many others on eBay. Cole Palmer, the England men's player of the year, has transformed the messy outlook into a real competitive team.

With Arne Slot taking over as Jurgen Klopp's replacement, Liverpool fans were filled with fear. The Dutchman has successfully stabilized the team, and if City loses at Wolves, Liverpool will once again face Chelsea at home, leaving the other nineteen teams in the league behind.

Liverpool has emerged victorious in all competitions, maintaining their dominant position in both the Premier League and the Champions League, while the Blues have only conceded a single point in their last five games, making this a crucial fixture.

Both teams have a chance to win; a victory over the Blues would put Liverpool back on top, while a Chelsea victory would move the Blues up to third following Arsenal's loss at Bournemouth.

Both managers share a similar philosophy, but Enzo Maresca favors an all-out attack, which has negatively impacted his team's defense. Arne Slot prefers to retain the ball, look for holes, and then hit the opponent on the counter with Ryan Gravenberch anchoring from deep.

Good news for Chelsea: all players, including club captain Reece James, are available for selection, except for Marc Cucurella and Wes Fofana, who are both suspended. Maresca would prefer not to push James too much, but he is expected to feature from the bench for the first time in many months.

Liverpool will be without Alison until after the international break. Due to Federico Chiesa's injury, you now understand why he was so cheap despite his quality; there are some concerns about Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, and Kostas Tsimikas, but they are expected to be fine.

Watch out for Mohammed Salah and Luiz Diaz from the home team, and be wary of Nicolas Jackson's unpredictable streak for the visitors. You can’t be wrong to expect so much from Palmer; it should be enjoyable at Anfield.

Verdict: Full-time draw.