Liverpool vs Chelsea Preview and Prediction: The final minutes will decide.

As the focal point of the Premier League's return after the international break, Liverpool and Chelsea will face off in a clash of giants at Anfield on Sunday afternoon.

The Reds lead the table thanks to a 1-0 win over Crystal Palace before the break, while The Blues are held back by a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest.

Latest Liverpool vs Chelsea team news

Liverpool's worst fears regarding Alisson were confirmed shortly after he left the pitch against Crystal Palace, and the Brazilian goalkeeper will now be sidelined until after the international break in November; Caoimhin Kelleher will replace him after missing the win at Selhurst Park due to illness.

Alisson joins Liverpool's injury list alongside Harvey Elliott, who suffered a broken leg, and there is still no update on Federico Chiesa's condition, but the former Juventus player will not be able to replace Mohamed Salah after the Egyptian player returned early from international duty.

Slot also admitted in the press conference that The Reds are facing "some issues" from the international break, so it would be no surprise if some South American players are rested from the start; Curtis Jones and Cody Gakpo could replace Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz respectively.

While James Ward-Prowse's comical red card dominated headlines regarding disciplinary action in Chelsea's match against Forest, The Blues also suffered two other penalties; Wesley Fofana and Marc Cucurella both received their fifth yellow cards of the season and will miss the match at Anfield.

Cucurella's absence opens up an opportunity for Renato Veiga to take on the difficult task of keeping Salah quiet, while Axel Disasi and Tosin Adarabioyo will compete to replace Fofana in the center of the defense.

In more positive news, injury-plagued Reece James has returned to training after suffering a muscle soreness this summer, and concerns about Danish goalkeeper Filip Jorgensen's international commitments will not affect Maresca's starting lineup.

Latest predicted lineups for Liverpool vs Chelsea

Liverpool:

Kelleher; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Gravenberch; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Jota

Chelsea:

Sanchez; Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Veiga; Caicedo, Fernandez; Madueke, Palmer, Sancho; Jackson

Latest football match prediction: Liverpool vs Chelsea

Records have been consistently broken under Liverpool manager Arne Slot since the Dutch strategist succeeded Jurgen Klopp, with him overseeing an eighth win in nine games at Selhurst Park two weeks ago.

An early goal from Diogo Jota was the difference in that match, but the result was somewhat overshadowed by the serious injury to veteran goalkeeper Alisson Becker, as 23-year-old Vitezslav Jaros made his debut in goal.

That win kept Liverpool firmly at the top of the table for two weeks, but they could be pushed down to second place on Saturday if Arsenal beat Bournemouth, and Manchester City beating Wolverhampton Wanderers at 2 pm on Sunday would see them drop to third before kick-off.

However, Slot and his colleagues won't be bothered by those theories as Liverpool pursue their seventh consecutive win in all competitions, with their defensive foundation remaining solid, having conceded only two goals in the current Premier League season.

Furthermore, Liverpool's seven games so far have only shown them to have conceded 5.2 Expected Goals (xG), but their defense will face a major test when they host a team that consistently scores on Sunday.

After Slot became only the fourth manager in Premier League history to win his first four away games, his rival, Enzo Maresca, could become the fifth member of that exclusive club if he can stop Liverpool's momentum this weekend.

Chelsea could have been allowed to ask Nottingham Forest – the only team to beat Liverpool this season – about the best way to deal with the Slot side two weeks ago, but the dramatic encounter with them turned into chaos for the full 105 minutes at Stamford Bridge.

Goals from Chris Wood and Noni Madueke shared the points as Chelsea's five-match winning streak came to an end, but the day certainly belonged to the goalkeepers, as Robert Sanchez and Matz Sels – Forest's last line of defense for 10 – made some superb saves to secure a point for the home side.

Even a win for Chelsea wouldn't improve their fourth-place position in the Premier League table, but the team arrives in Merseyside with the second-best attack in the league; they have scored 16 goals, just behind Manchester City (17 goals).

With Maresca and Cole Palmer winning the Manager and Player of the Month awards for September, Chelsea could win all four of their first away games in a top-flight season for the first time since 2008-09, but their nine-game winless streak against Liverpool, who haven't lost to Chelsea since March 2021, doesn't support them.

This Sunday's highly anticipated match is sure to liven up expectations, as Chelsea's unstoppable attacking power meets Liverpool's impenetrable defensive wall, with the latter expected to enter the game with the edge.

The absence of Fofana and Cucurella – two pillars of Chelsea's defense – could tip the scales in favor of Liverpool, especially with Salah and Virgil van Dijk well rested in the squad, as Slot's side continue to hold onto their position at the top of the Premier League.

Predicting the score for Liverpool vs Chelsea

Based on the above football analysis, we and leading football websites worldwide have come up with the following predictions for the Liverpool vs Chelsea match:

• Sportsmole: Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea

• WhoScore: Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea
• Our prediction: Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea

When and where can I watch Liverpool vs Chelsea live?

To watch the Liverpool vs Chelsea match live in the English Premier League at 10:30 PM on October 20th, viewers can tune in to K+ Sport, K+PM, or other online sports channels. We wish you enjoyable football viewing moments.

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