Kovacic returns as Potter makes four changes | Chelsea’s expected lineup vs. Liverpool
Chelsea will be looking for their second consecutive Premier League victory when they meet Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday.
Graham Potter’s team broke their winless streak last weekend, defeating London rivals Crystal Palace 1-0. Despite the win, they remain 10th in the table, with a 10-point gap to the Champions League places.
As a result, the club’s upcoming encounter at Anfield is a must-win. Potter may make changes to his starting lineup against Liverpool, but here is our predicted Chelsea lineup.
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Kepa Arrizabalaga’s form has been questionable in recent games. He struggled against Manchester City and Fulham, but he still stood out out versus Palace with several outstanding saves. Potter has made it clear that he is the number one choice ahead of Edouard Mendy.
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Potter is likely to keep Thiago Silva and Benoit Badiashile as the center-back pairing, although the full-back positions could alter. Trevoh Chalobah was forced to play in an unfamiliar right-back role last weekend and might be replaced by captain Cesar Azpilicueta. Reece James has returned to team practice, but Potter has ruled him out for tomorrow. On the left side of the four-man defense, Lewis Hall is expected to be replaced by the more experienced Marc Cucurella.
Potter may want more defensive confidence against Jurgen Klopp’s side, so Mateo Kovacic might return to the starting lineup. The Croatian midfielder will most likely play alongside Jorginho and Conor Gallagher, with the latter possibly taking on the most advanced role the three.
Hakim Ziyech and Carney Chukwuemeka could both be benched. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang might join Mason Mount and Kai Havertz in an assault. After playing behind the former Arsenal captain, Havertz found his groove last weekend. Potter might deploy a similar-looking attack against Liverpool at Anfield. With no competitive football in the last few months, new signing Mykhailo Mudryk may only make his debut off the bench.
