World champions Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea this Tuesday as the FA Cup fifth round gets underway, with perhaps renewed motivation to go all the way in the tournament.
The Blues come into the fixture off the back of a disappointing 2-2 draw away at Bournemouth - a result that put another dent in Chelsea's Champions League qualification charge. Two Marcos Alonso goals stopped Frank Lampard's side from dropping out of the top four altogether, but alongside their humiliating 3-0 home defeat to Bayern Munich last Tuesday, the Blues are having a tough old week.
Chelsea are yet to face a top-flight opponent in this year's FA Cup, seeing off Nottingham Forest and Hull City up until this point. The arrival of the runaway league leaders and current champions of Europe would've been the very last thing Lampard wanted under normal circumstances. However...
The Reds are suddenly beatable again. Their 44-game unbeaten run in the Premier League came to an abrupt end against Watford, with Jurgen Klopp's side stumbling to a turgid 3-0 defeat at Vicarage Road, and ending their prospects of finishing an entire league season without defeat. Meanwhile in Europe, Atletico Madrid earned a 1-0 win over the defending champions the week before.
For the first time this season, the Reds look a little stunned and in need of a reaction.
Here is 90min's preview of this gargantuan FA Cup clash.
Where to Watch
| When Is Kick Off? | Tuesday 3 March |
| What Time Is Kick Off? | 19:45 (GMT) |
| Where Is it Played? | Stamford Bridge |
| TV Channel/Live Stream? | BBC One |
| Referee? | Chris Kavanagh |
Team News
Both sides are missing a number of key players for this cup tie, with the hosts still without long-term absentee Christian Pulisic, while Callum Hudson-Odoi is also sidelined for the foreseeable future with a hamstring problem.
Naby Keita
Predicted Lineups
| Chelsea | Caballero; James, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Tomori, Alonso; Jorginho, Loftus-Cheek; Willian, Barkley, Giroud |
| Liverpool | Adrian; Williams, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson; Fabinho, Lallana, Jones; Salah, Origi, Minamino |
Head-to-Head Record
These two staples of English football have clashed on 184 occasions in the past, with the Reds edging proceedings with 80 wins to Chelsea's 63, while there have been 41 draws between the pair.
The sides have met twice so far this campaign, with Liverpool running out 2-1 victors at Stamford Bridge in the Premier League, courtesy of goals from Roberto Firmino and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The UEFA Super Cup back in August was also contested by these two, with the Adrian-inspired Reds once again enjoying the spoils after a penalty shootout.
Recent Form
Chelsea's form has been predictably unpredictable recently, with the Blues having won just three of their last nine outings in all competitions. Saturday's draw on the south coast means Lampard's side spurned yet another chance to pull clear of fifth-place Manchester United, while also condemning them to just one win in their last six league matches.
With Chelsea's European hopes in tatters following their first-leg implosion at home to Bayern Munich, the FA Cup will provide Lampard with a great opportunity to lift some silverware in his first season as manager. However, while the Blues have found things in this competition straightforward so far, they will have to beat Liverpool for the first time since September 2018 if they want to progress.
Regardless of a poor result against Watford, the runaway league leaders have been in emphatic form throughout the campaign, opening up a 22-point gap atop the Premier League table. However, the Reds have lost two of their last three games, while the other was an edgy and uncomfortable 3-2 win at home to West Ham, (perhaps) signalling an ever so slight drop in form.
Two 1-0 wins have gotten Liverpool to the fifth round including an incredible home victory against Everton and a narrow replay against Shrewsbury at Anfield. But the Kop kids have been called upon until now by Klopp and his staff in this competition, with a stronger starting lineup in place for the trip to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
Here is each side's last five results in all competitions:
| Chelsea | Liverpool |
| Bournemouth 2-2 Chelsea (29/2) | Watford 3-0 Liverpool (29/2) |
| Chelsea 0-3 Bayern Munich (25/2) | Liverpool 3-2 West Ham (24/2) |
| Chelsea 2-1 Tottenham (22/2) | Atletico Madrid 1-0 Liverpool (18/2) |
| Chelsea 0-2 Manchester United (17/2) | Norwich 0-1 Liverpool (15/2) |
| Leicester 2-2 Chelsea (1/2) | Liverpool 1-0 Shrewsbury (4/2) |
Prediction
It remains to be seen how both managers will line up for this one, with the outcome of Tuesday's clash likely hinging on the personnel employed by each coach. If the Reds put out their strongest side then you'd have to make them favourites, even with the game being played at Stamford Bridge.
However, both sides have proved to be a little leaky in recent weeks at the back, perhaps setting up a gung-ho clash of titans under the floodlights. Liverpool's embarrassing away defeat at Watford may still be at the forefront of the players' minds, and we will have to wait and see how that impacts the Reds going forward.
Prediction: Chelsea 2-2 Liverpool
Source : 90min