Chelsea vs Liverpool – Premier League: TV channel, team news, lineups & prediction

Chelsea host Liverpool in arguably the most enticing match on the first weekend of the new Premier League season this Sunday.

The hulking status of both sides – and the underlying toxicity between the clubs that has bubbled away over the last 20 years – gives the contest plenty of heft as it is. Yet the transfer saga surrounding Moises Caicedo has added another layer of intrigue to the fixture.

Chelsea – along with Arsenal – had a bid for Caicedo turned down by Brighton in January. The Blues have pursued the Ecuadorian midfielder all summer but were gazumped by Liverpool’s bid of £111m in the same week as the Premier League opener between the two clubs.

Here’s everything you need to know about Sunday’s mouthwatering match-up.

Chelsea vs Liverpool H2H record (Last Five Games)

Mauricio Pochettino will be without a glut of key figures for his competitive debut in the Stamford Bridge dugout. Christopher Nkunku represents the biggest loss as the French forward was forced to undergo knee surgery barely a month after his £52m move from RB Leipzig.

Wesley Fofana will be sidelined for much of the campaign with a more severe knee issue of his own while Armando Broja is further along in his recovery from a problem in the same area.

Benoit Badiashile is unlikely to return from a groin problem until late August, squeezing into a treatment room which already includes back-up goalkeeper Marcus Bettinelli.

Noni Madueke missed much of pre-season with a minor hamstring strain but could play some role off the bench on Sunday.

Chelsea predicted lineup (4-2-3-1): Arrizabalaga; James, Silva, Colwill, Chilwell; Gallagher, Fernandez; Sterling, Chukwuemeka, Mudryk; Jackson

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It remains to be seen whether the deal for Caicedo will be wrapped up in time for a pointed debut against Chelsea. However, Jurgen Klopp will almost certainly give minutes to summer arrivals Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.

Thiago Alcantara – the only experienced midfielder that has stayed at Liverpool this summer – is unlikely to feature while he recovers from hip surgery last May. Fellow midfielder Stefan Bajcetic is also a doubt after sitting out the entirety of pre-season as he is eased back to full fitness.

Liverpool predicted lineup (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Jones, Mac Allister; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz

Outside of penalty shootouts, there has not been a goal in any of the last 465 minutes of action between Chelsea and Liverpool. Christian Pulisic was the last player to score in this fixture, netting the equaliser in a 2-2 draw between the pair in January 2022.

The respective firepower on both sides of this contest – and defensive insecurities – suggests that this bizarre drought cannot go on much longer. Liverpool, in particular, were prolific and porous during an entertaining pre-season campaign.

While Liverpool may have won the race for Caicedo, Chelsea may not lose Sunday’s contest as well.

Prediction: Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool