Liverpool host Chelsea on Sunday in a meeting of first-year Premier League managers who have made impressive starts with their new teams.
Arne Slot’s Liverpool (6-1-0, 18 points) enters the standings after winning three in a row in the league and six in a row in all competitions.
The biggest difference between Slott’s Liverpool side this season and Jurgen Klopp’s side last season is a stronger rear guard.
While Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah have made excellent starts, combining for nine league goals, it is at the back that the Reds have won games, conceding just four goals in all competitions (10 games).
Last season, Klopp’s team produced the most points in their first five games.
“If you want to achieve something, we need to settle down defensively. We’ve done that so far,” Slot said. “Now we are facing the best players. Chelsea, like (Manchester) United, have a lot of top players and we have to manage that as a team, but we also have to create our own chances. The good thing is that we have players. Who can score? It will be an interesting game on Sunday.”
Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea (4-1-2, 14 points) achieved their first success thanks to some special attacks, led by the continuous creativity of Cole Palmer.
The Blues’ 16 league goals are the second most behind four-time defending champions Manchester City. Palmer has scored or assisted a staggering 11 times as he makes his case to be the best striker in the EPL.
However, Chelsea, who are in fourth place, have not faced an opponent as strong as Liverpool since they were beaten by Manchester City 2-0 in the first game of the season. So it might be tempting to say that Sunday’s result will show just how good the Blues are, an environment Maresca wants to guard against.
“We will approach this game trying to fix the game in a better way,” said Maresca. “And like I said, try to get points there. But it’s not this game that will define where we are – if we win, we solve all the problems, and if we lose? No. It’s just a process, it’s just a game.”
Liverpool will be without goalkeeper Alisson due to a hamstring injury.
–Field Level Media
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