TEAM NEWS

Chelsea forward Timo Werner has overcome the dead leg he sustained when winning a penalty against Brighton on Monday night.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp must decide whether to involve Thiago Alcantara following his £20m arrival on Friday.

Klopp has reported no new injuries.

MOTD COMMENTATOR’S NOTES

@Wilsonfooty: If this game is half as entertaining as the 5-3 Liverpool win over Chelsea at Anfield in late July then we are in for a treat. On the evidence of their first league games of the season there is certainly every reason to expect another haul of goals.

Chelsea’s options in attacking midfield positions are frightening – Timo Werner must be licking his lips at the prospect of so much creativity around him. Whether they are stronger defensively and in goal this season remains to be seen.

A game against the reigning champions is always a useful yardstick, and Chelsea should consider themselves title contenders this season. They will also want to improve on a record of just two wins and five defeats in their last 10 Premier League home games against Liverpool.

Thiago Alcantara’s imminent arrival at Anfield looks a snip at an initial £20m. It’s Liverpool most expensive signing since they captured Alisson from Roma more than two years ago. Jurgen Klopp’s recent barbs about Chelsea’s summer spending were probably born of some frustration; remember how Liverpool had baulked at Werner’s £53m price tag.

Against Leeds on Saturday, Liverpool were lucky that Mo Salah was in the mood to bury anything and everything that came his way.

Salah – a misfit from Chelsea’s past – is one more hat-trick away from completing a century of goals for Liverpool more quickly than Ian Rush, Robbie Fowler or Michael Owen – no mean feat for a guy who plays off the wing.

LAWRO’S PREDICTION

Chelsea kicked off their campaign with a good win over Brighton while Liverpool’s performance against Leeds was a bit patchier, but with the same result.

Prediction: 1-1

Lawro’s full predictions v singer and Manchester United fan Raye

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Liverpool can equal their longest winning streak against Chelsea in the Premier League – four matches, set between November 2010 and May 2012.
• The Reds have won six of their past 12 league games at Stamford Bridge (D3, L3), including three of five under Jürgen Klopp.
• Chelsea won 2-0 at home in the most recent fixture between the sides, an FA Cup fifth-round tie in March.

Chelsea

• They have lost their opening home match in only two of 28 Premier League seasons: 2-1 against Blackburn in 1993 and 3-2 versus Burnley in 2017.
• Chelsea are unbeaten in their past 13 home league games against the reigning champions (W7, D6).
• The Blues ended last season with six consecutive home league victories and could win seven in a row at Stamford Bridge for the first time since December 2017.
• However, they lost eight home fixtures in all competitions last season, their most since 1985-86.
• Kepa Arrizabalaga has failed to stop nine of the last 13 shots on target he has faced in the division.

Liverpool

• Liverpool can win their opening two league fixtures in three consecutive top-flight seasons for the first time.
• Since securing the league title in June, Liverpool have conceded 15 goals in eight games in the division. The previous 15 league goals they conceded came across a 23-match spell.
• The Reds set a club record of 14 top-flight away wins last season.
• Roberto Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold both scored home and away against Chelsea in last season’s Premier League; the last Liverpool player to score in three consecutive league matches in this fixture was Ian Rush between December 1989 and October 1990.
• Sadio Mane has failed to score in all five Liverpool appearances at Stamford Bridge in all competitions.