Crisis duel at Stamford Bridge
As things stand, both Chelsea FC and Liverpool FC would have missed out on the UEFA Champions League qualification they were aiming for
While the Blues are currently eleventh on 38 points, the Reds are eighth on 42 points with one game left to play. Both teams are under pressure and it is correspondingly difficult to make a bet on the outcome of the Chelsea vs Liverpool match.
The Blues were primarily lacking in their forward play. Just 29 goals from 28 league games are on the books of the Londoners, who have already failed to score in five Premier League home games in the 2022/23 season – four of them in the 2023 calendar year. The prediction that Chelsea will not score too many goals against Liverpool is accordingly coherent. Not only have the last three meetings between the two clubs all ended 0-0, but the Reds have only scored 14 away goals from 14 Premier League away games.
All in all, things have not gone well for Jürgen Klopp’s side away from home. The Reds only managed to win three of their 14 away games in the Premier League in the 2022/23 season. The team from Merseyside is therefore just 13th in the away table. On Saturday, LFC once again failed to win at Manchester City (1:4). But it remains to be seen whether the Blues, who saw their coach Graham Potter relieved of his duties after another 2-0 defeat to Aston Villa, will be able to capitalise on this situation.
Chelsea – Statistics & current form
Chelsea FC just can’t seem to settle under new owner Todd Boehly. After the controversial sacking of Tuchel, there was a veritable frenzy on the transfer market, where more than 600 million euros were spent on transfer fees in the 2022/23 season alone.
In the course of this, the Blues’ squad has been inflated to 32 players, some of whom are signed for absurdly long periods. However, this has not brought success. Because only two of the last nine league games were won (four draws, three defeats), Graham Potter has now also had to pack his bags.
Is Nagelsmann moving to Stamford Bridge?
Rumours suggest that the club’s management wants Julian Nagelsmann, who has just been sacked by Bayern, as his successor at all costs. However, if everything does not go smoothly on matchday, Potter assistant Bruno Saltor will be in charge of the team against the Reds for the time being.
In any case, the Londoners’ problems will certainly not be solved overnight. The large squad produces rows and rows of unhappy players who would like to have more playing time, while too little is happening on the pitch. The Blues have scored just 29 goals so far this season.
Have gone goalless in five home games
The problem is not only that the Pensioners have failed to score in five of their 14 Premier League home games – including four times in 2023 – but also that their top scorer, Kai Havertz (seven goals), is actually a player who operates behind the leaders, which highlights the lack of penetration in their forward play.
Nevertheless, the odds on Chelsea against Liverpool are slightly in favour of the Blues, who have only lost four of their 14 Premier League home games. So if the Londoners are only eleventh in the current table, at least the number of home defeats equates to the seventh lowest in the league.
Last Chelsea games:
Premier League
01/04/2023 – Chelsea FC 0 – 2 Aston Villa
19/03/2023 – Chelsea FC 2 – 2 Everton
11/03/2023 – Leicester 1 – 3 Chelsea FC
Champions League Final
08/03/2023 – Chelsea FC 2 – 0 Borussia Dortmund
Premier League
04/03/2023 – Chelsea FC 1 – 0 Leeds
Liverpool – Statistics & current form
Liverpool FC continue to find themselves beside themselves in the 2022/23 season. After Jürgen Klopp’s troops were actually always involved in the fight for the championship in recent years, which could also be brought to Merseyside in the summer of 2020, qualification for the Champions League is currently in acute danger for the reigning runners-up.
On Saturday, the Reds lost 4-1 away to Manchester City after leading 1-0. It was their fifth Premier League game lost in the 2023 calendar year, which means LFC have already racked up more defeats in league action in the New Year than in the whole of 2022 (24 wins, seven draws, four defeats).
Eight of 14 Premier League away games lost
Jürgen Klopp’s eleven are almost unrecognisable away from home. Liverpool have already lost eight Premier League away games in the 2022/23 season. To put that into perspective for a moment: That is exactly the number of away defeats LFC have suffered in league play over the last three seasons combined.
With only three away games won, the Reds occupy a sobering 13th place in the away table. Accordingly, there is little to suggest that the Scousers will be able to take the full three points at Stamford Bridge when it comes to Chelsea vs Liverpool.
Only 14 goals in 14 Premier League away games
Despite a highly decorated attack, it is the meagre goal haul in particular that has seen LFC take just 12 points from 14 Premier League away games. Mohamed Salah’s opening goal at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday was only his 14th Premier League away goal in 14 visits this season.
It will be correspondingly difficult for the Reds, who have also managed to mark just three goals in their last six competitive games against Chelsea, to get past a highly-decorated side who are also difficult to assess due to the Potter sacking.
Last Liverpool games:
Premier League
01/04/2023 – Manchester City 4 – 1 Liverpool FC
Champions League Final
16/03/2023 – Real Madrid 1 – 0 Liverpool FC
Premier League
11/03/2023 – Bournemouth 1 – 0 Liverpool FC
05/03/2023 – Liverpool FC 7 – 0 Manchester United
02/03/2023 – Liverpool FC 2 – 0 Wolverhampton
Chelsea – Liverpool Direct comparison / H2H record
Head to head: 65 – 44 – 84
There have been a total of 193 meetings between the two teams so far and Liverpool lead the head-to-head with 84 wins. The Reds have not lost any of their last four matches at Stamford Bridge (two wins, two draws). However, across all competitions, the last five meetings between the two clubs have all ended in draws – the last three of which have even ended 0-0.
Chelsea – Liverpool Tip
With Chelsea against Liverpool, the prediction must of course take into account the change of coach at the Blues, who could well be able to untie any knots at the Londoners. It does not seem overly likely that interim coach Bruno Saltor or even a successor to Potter, who will be introduced at short notice, will immediately get to grips with the biggest problem, namely the poor chance-taking and weak attack. Because the Reds have also scored just 14 goals in 14 league games away from home, there is a lot to be said for a low-scoring clash.
The last three duels between the two clubs have all ended 0-0, so it makes sense to include this outcome in the final tip. We find the greatest value in the double chance 1X at under 4.5 goals.
