Chelsea’s key to success against Liverpool at Anfield

The conclusion of the international break in October marks the start of a four-game Premier League clash for Chelsea, taking on Liverpool, Newcastle, Manchester United and Arsenal in the space of 21 days.

A visit to Anfield will be the first test for Enzo Maresca’s team to prove that their encouraging start to the season can hold up against the EPL’s top teams. Chelsea lost their opening league game against Manchester City but bounced back with a six-game unbeaten run to leave them fourth in the table, four points behind Liverpool, who are currently setting the pace.

In August it would have been unreasonable to count Chelsea as title contenders and while that still seems far too optimistic, a top four finish and a return to the UEFA Champions League should be the clear aim.

The Blues go into the game on October 20th with notable losses. Left-back Marc Cucurella and centre-back Wesley Fofana are suspended due to an accumulation of yellow cards, meaning Maresca will be without half of his preferred back four.

If Chelsea want to emerge with a positive result, they will need to follow a formula with important keys to success that could give them a fighting chance of winning at Anfield for the first time since the early days of Thomas Tuchel’s reign.

It’s no secret that Anfield is one of the most hostile venues in all of Europe. The Reds benefit from the passion and intensity that comes from The Kop, which in turn can be overwhelming for visiting teams. There’s a reason Chelsea haven’t won there in the Premier League with fans in the stands for a decade.

Chelsea must remain disciplined and intense during the phases of the game where Liverpool will inevitably force the issue and test the resolve of the Premier League’s youngest squad. It would be unrealistic to expect Chelsea to dominate the entire 90 minutes. It is therefore paramount that Chelsea can withstand the waves of attacks that Arne Slot’s side are sure to unleash.

Maresca must take Chelsea’s 4-1 defeat at Anfield in January as a cautionary tale of what could happen if his team don’t play with the will and heart the stage demands. There is no question that the Blues travel to Merseyside as underdogs, but that doesn’t mean they will buckle under the pressure and return to London with another emphatic defeat.

With only two goals conceded, Liverpool have been the best defensive team in the EPL so far. Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are one of the best centre-back pairings in England and have allowed an EPL-best 5.2 xG in seven games.

However, the Reds suffered a serious injury blow in their final game before the international break after star goalkeeper Allison Becker suffered a serious hamstring injury that will keep him sidelined for a considerable period of time. Caoimhin Kelleher will initially take over the starting eleven in goal.

Chelsea have scored the second-most goals in the EPL season, but lacked sharpness in their last game against Nottingham Forest, managing just one goal from 22 shots (eight on target). The Blues have to take advantage of scoring opportunities, which probably won’t be as many as in the last league game.

Renato Veiga seems ready to fill the void of the suspended Cucurella. The 21-year-old Portugal international has shown the ability to play a variety of positions since arriving at the club, and has looked good at left-back in Chelsea’s recent games in the UEFA Conference League and EFL Cup.

However, Liverpool is a different beast to Ghent or Barrow. Veiga will be tasked with containing arguably the sport’s most dangerous right winger. Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold have caused a stir at Chelsea in the past, with the Egyptian having been involved in seven goals against his former club since his return to the Premier League.

Veiga will have to be at his best if Chelsea want to avoid having their left flank exposed like in the January game when Connor Bradley put in an outstanding performance with a goal and two assists.

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