Liverpool are back in action Tuesday night after their weekend horror show at Watford as they travel to Chelsea in the FA Cup.
The Reds have suffered a 3-0 loss to the threatened Hornets, their first loss in their last 45 Premier League games.
That shouldn’t derail their bid for the league title, as they still have a 22-point cushion at the top, but it will be interesting to see how they react to something they are not very used to these days.
And it’s a pretty tough return for the Reds with a midweek trip to Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea are not in good shape, however, having won only one of their last six Premier League games.
They are also about to leave the Champions League after suffering a 3-0 home humiliation against Bayern Munich in the first leg of the knockout stages.
- You can listen to the full Chelsea vs Liverpool LIVE commentary on talkSPORT, kicking off at 7:45 p.m.
This FA Cup tie is now a good opportunity for both parties to get back in shape.
Blues boss Frank Lampard did not have Tammy Abraham, N’Golo Kante and Christian Pulisic available because they are all injured, while Andreas Christensen is also doubtful.
Reds captain Jordan Henderson remains unaffected by the hamstrings, while Jurgen Klopp is also unable to choose Xherdan Shaqiri, Naby Keita and Nathaniel Clyne. Harvey Elliott flew with the U-19s to a UEFA Youth League game and will therefore not play at Chelsea.
Below, you can see how Chelsea and Liverpool should line up, according to talkSPORT.com.
How Chelsea should line up
The FA Cup is now Chelsea’s only realistic chance of claiming silverware this season, so Lampard should opt for his best available team.
Three in defense with wingers has canceled Tottenham this season, so it’s a system he should consider when the Reds come to town.
In the objective, we think that a change could be made with the signing of the record Kepa Arrizabalaga in place of Willy Caballero.
The Spaniard has been below average this season, but Lampard insists that Kepa is working hard and should therefore have a chance to redeem himself.
The absence of Christensen facilitates the three choices of central defender to Fikayo Tomori, Antonio Rudiger and Cesar Azpilicueta.
The rear fenders are also easy choices. Marcos Alonso, with three goals in his last two league games, is in good shape and should play on the left, while Reece James has learned his trade well on the right all season.
Lampard usually goes for three in the midfield, but given the caliber of their opponents, maybe some fresh thinking is needed, which is why we opted for two defensive options in the midfield.
Jorginho can be the one who dictates the pace of the game while Mateo Kovacic can do more leg work.
Olivier Giroud will almost certainly play from the front as he is easily their best strike option in the absence of Abraham, but he will need quality players nearby to help him.
This is why we opted for Willian and Pedro, two players who can cause problems for any defense and who are capable of magic. They also knew the head on their shoulders, but that means that Mason Mount would be absent.
How Liverpool should line up
It is clear that the Premier League is a priority for Liverpool and they will want to conclude the title as soon as possible.
But two consecutive losses are not accepted at the club these days, so Klopp will have to compromise on his principles for selecting a second team, which he has done so far in the Liverpool FA Cup campaign. .
Goalkeeper Alisson Becker needs to rest but his assistant, Adrian, is more than able to do a job and became a hero when Liverpool defeated Chelsea in the Super Cup earlier this quarter.
James Milner is available again to position himself in the rear left, while Neco Williams, 18, impressed in the rear right in the FA Cups and Carabao therefore deserves a starting spot.
Joe Gomez missed Watford’s defeat with a blow and his absence was felt with his replacement Dejan Lovren having a stink. The English international should play alongside Joel Matip, allowing Virgil van Dijk to rest.
Another player who deserves an outing is midfielder Pedro Chirivella – the Spaniard having great games when the young Reds upset the odds by beating Everton and Shrewsbury earlier in the competition.
Adam Lallana had a good time against Watford and was a regular at the Liverpool National Cup competitions this quarter, as did Curtis Jones, who has been Liverpool’s most notable player in the FA Cup so far, having scored great curling effort to help them overtake Everton in the third round.
Takumi Minamino started in the previous rounds, but he’s clearly not used to the way Liverpool play, so we opted for a more recognizable frontline.
Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah can cause defense problems at Chelsea and the avant-garde Origi can replace Sadio Mane, who looked in poor condition this weekend.