Liverpool vs Chelsea at Anfield on Wednesday will be a do-or-die tie, with a place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals up for grabs.
The EFL Cup returns this week with the fourth round. The latest stage kicks off on Tuesday before continuing with five games on Wednesday. The action on the day will end with Liverpool vs Chelsea at Anfield, the marquee fixture of this phase.
Liverpool reached the EFL Cup fourth round by beating Tottenham Hotspur in the previous stage, with Dominik Szoboszlai rounding off the win with a late strike. The Reds have endured a topsy-turvy start to life under Andoni Iraola, though they have lost only once thus far. Recent wins have built confidence within the group, with Liverpool currently on a four-match winning run.
On the other hand, Chelsea secured a spot in the EFL Cup fourth round by beating Leeds United, coming from two goals down to secure a 6-3 win, with all six of their goals coming in a frenetic second half. However, unlike the hosts, the Blues come into this game on the back of a shock 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur, and they have won only two of their last five matches across all competitions.
The most recent match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield ended in a 1-1 draw, with Enzo Fernandez equalising for the West London club after Ryan Gravenberch scored the opener. The Hard Tackle looks closer at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two sides.
Andoni Iraola has no new injury concerns hampering his preparations ahead of his side’s latest fixture. The Liverpool head coach will be bereft of the services of five first-team players vs Chelsea on Wednesday.
Iraola has been sweating over the fitness of Florian Wirtz (foot) and Victor Munoz (knee), but the duo should be fit and available to take on Chelsea. However, Conor Bradley (knee), Jeremie Frimpong (thigh), Giovanni Leoni (knee), Dominik Szoboszlai (hamstring), and Hugo Ekitike (achilles) remain on the sidelines.
Giorgi Mamardashvili should take his spot between the sticks, with Iraola likely to rest Alisson Becker. Liverpool will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation in front of the Georgian international, with the backline featuring Ronald Araujo, Wataru Endo, Joe Gomez, and Kostas Tsimikas. Virgil van Dijk and Jeremy Jacquet thus get a breather.
As for the midfield unit, Trey Nyoni will line up alongside Alexis Mac Allister in the double pivot, with James McConnell reprising the no. 10 role. Finally, Lewis Koumas will lead the line for the home side, with Victor Munoz and Rio Ngumoha being the two wide attackers. Cody Gakpo will start on the left flank if Munoz is not fit enough to start.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Araujo, Gomez, Endo, Tsimikas; Nyoni, Mac Allister; Ngumoha, McConnell, Munoz; Koumas
Unlike his counterpart in the Liverpool dugout, Xabi Alonso has a new roster issue to worry about ahead of the trip to Anfield. The Chelsea head coach will be without seven first-team players on Wednesday.
Cole Palmer is the latest absentee after being sent off against Tottenham this past weekend. Joao Pedro also remains unavailable after missing that game due to a knee injury. Meanwhile, Emiliano Martinez (jaw), Reece James (knee), Jamie Gittens (ankle), and Emmanuel Emegha (match fitness) remain in the treatment room, while the game has come too soon for Pep Chavarria.
Mike Penders should retain his spot between the sticks, with Chelsea lining up in a 3-4-2-1 formation in front of him vs Liverpool on Wednesday. The central defensive unit will feature Wesley Fofana, Maxence Lacroix, and Jorrel Hato, with Malo Guto and Marco Palestra being the two wing-backs.
The wide duo will provide width in the final third and protect the three centre-backs. As for the midfield unit, Valentin Barco will get a rare starting opportunity, lining up alongside Romeo Lavia in the central spots. Finally, Danny Welbeck will spearhead the Chelsea attack, with Estevao Willian and Morgan Rogers completing the numbers in the offensive unit.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Penders; Fofana, Lacroix, Hato; Gusto, Barco, Lavia, Palestra; Estevao, Rogers; Welbeck
While Lewis Koumas, Rio Ngumoha, and Danny Welbeck were viable candidates for this section, we have picked Estevao Willian as the Player to Watch for Wednesday’s EFL Cup fourth-round tie between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield.
The Brazilian international has become increasingly frustrated by his situation at Chelsea, with regular game time eluding him. However, Cole Palmer’s suspension provides him an opportunity to deliver the goods and grow in prominence under Xabi Alonso. A game-changing performance can turn his fortunes around, and that will be the agenda for Estevao in this midweek clash.
This tie should follow a similar pattern to how Liverpool and Chelsea’s respective EFL Cup third-round ties transpired. With both managers expected to rotate their troops and a spot in the quarter-final up for grabs, defensive stability will go out the window, leading to an end-to-end affair.
However, the hosts have the better base to secure a spot in the next round, even though the Blues have some brilliant attacking players who can trouble the opposing defenders. With Mike Penders also low on morale after a catastrophic error against Tottenham, Liverpool will pounce, with The Hard Tackle predicting a hard-fought 2-1 win for Andoni Iraola and his charges.
