Theo Walcott is backing Liverpool to do something today that they haven’t managed for just over five years – win at Stamford Bridge.
The Reds are away to Chelsea in the evening kick-off, knowing that they could be knocked off the top of the Premier League by the time the match starts if Arsenal defeat West Ham earlier on Saturday.
Arne Slot’s side were dealt a huge injury blow in recent days with the news that Alisson Becker faces a spell in the treatment room, although his opposite number Enzo Maresca will be without several Blues players for this clash, including the influential Cole Palmer.
Walcott gives Chelsea v Liverpool prediction
In the latest episode of It’s Called Soccer, Rebecca Lowe asked Walcott and Taylor Twellman for their predictions for the 5:30 kick-off, with the latter forecasting a 2-1 victory for Liverpool.
The former Arsenal forward then exclaimed (via Chelsea News): “That’s what I wanted! Let’s go for…2-0. 2-0 to Liverpool.”
A win for Liverpool would be massive psychologically
You’ve to go back to September 2020 for the last time that the Reds won away to Chelsea – it finished 2-0 that day, with a quickfire Sadio Mane double giving us the points.
Since then, we’ve drawn three times in a row at Stamford Bridge and lost on our most recent visit five months ago, although that defeat came amid a party atmosphere from the travelling Kopites as we’d clinched the Premier League title the previous weekend.
Both teams may feel that they’re getting each other at a good time – Liverpool’s early-season momentum has been rocked by two galling losses in the past week, while the Blues haven’t won a top-flight match since August and are deprived of several players through injury and suspension.
If the Reds are to triumph in west London this evening, they’ll need to show a vast improvement from the defeats to Crystal Palace and Galatasaray, particularly if Arsenal abide by the form book and beat West Ham at 3pm.
Even with Chelsea not quite firing on all cylinders, a win for the champions at Stamford Bridge would feel like a big psychological test has been overcome and restore the feel-good factor heading into the October international break.
What Liverpool fans are looking for is an improvement in the performance, the defending passing ect, Chelsea is always a difficult game, I understand that new players need time, but when there’s no cohesion that’s down to the manager and the coaching staff, it’s got nothing to do with new players. Want see a Liverpool team on the front foot, pressing high, being brave on the ball and trying to win the game, put in the workrate and do the basics right, making right decisions when passing, we have the qualities to beat Chelsea if we turn up and have right tactics and attitude from the first whistle. We can’t be as bad as we were last Tuesday. The pressure is now on slot, Manchester United next. Two mass massive games. A draw against Chelsea I would be happy with.