Key occasions
2 min: Liverpool look very sharp from the off, with Salah and Elliott exchanging a neat one-two. The Egyptian bought to the byline and pulled a low cross throughout purpose, however Sanchez bought down nicely to assemble properly.
Peeeeeeeeeeeep!
We’re off at Stamford Bridge!
The groups are out. Chelsea arrive on the pitch first and line up in a guard of honour for the brand new champions. Liverpool’s aspect stroll out and thru the avenue of Chelsea gamers to boos from the Stamford Bridge crowd. Hmmmm.
“There’s no level in holding gamers that Slot received’t play, so Chiesa and Nunez go, perhaps others”, emails Nigel Visitor. “Robertson is fading, so we’d like one other left again. Salah desperately wants a very good backup. He can’t preserve enjoying each minute. In any other case, it relies upon who else leaves.”
Yep, definitely a bonafide proper winger is required, in addition to a proper again if/when Trent Alexander-Arnold departs. I might personally preserve Robertson for his expertise and purchase a high youthful left-back for him to mentor, reminiscent of Bournemouth’s Kerkez or Fulham’s Antonee Robinson. Perhaps promote Tsimikas, though the Greek is reliable. One other wonderful centre-back, to problem Konate and Van Dijk can be prudent, if they’ll afford that. The goalkeeper state of affairs is fascinating, given Giorgi Mamardashvili goes to hitch this summer season from Valencia.
Enzo Maresca, Chelsea’s supervisor, speaks to the cameras:
We have now to attempt to handle the feelings. We have now regained our momentum by profitable some video games. We’re enjoying towards winner gamers with winner mentality, so I anticipate a tricky sport.
Liverpool followers, your aspect have simply cantered to the league title. In what place/positions would you prefer to see the membership spend money on over the summer season? And who would you eliminate?
Solutions to the standard place: michael.butler@theguardian.com.
Jacob Steinberg’s preview to our late kick-off at Stamford Bridge.
Right here’s an extract:
The response to Karius’s mishaps was extra ruthlessness. A goalkeeper was wanted and Liverpool went for it within the subsequent switch window, paying £66.8m to signal Alisson from Roma. They weren’t hanging round. Alisson was 25 and elite. Keep in mind his save in Liverpool’s win over Napoli in December 2018? They’d not have received the Champions League with out that intervention. Liverpool had been rewarded for his or her seriousness; the mentality monsters constructed on turning into European champions by charging to their first league title in 30 years.
Chelsea, who’ve the second-youngest squad throughout Europe’s high 5 leagues and are monitoring the 19-year-old Ajax left-back Jorrel Hato, ought to take notice. They are going to give Liverpool a guard of honour at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon and face a crew with stability at their core. Van Dijk, now 33, continues to be the defensive rock and has signed on for 2 extra years. Alisson, at 32, stays the most effective goalkeepers on this planet. It’s a easy equation: shopping for the very best normally makes you the very best.
Full-time on the Amex: Brighton 1-1 Newcastle. An honest consequence for Chelsea, that, with Newcastle dropping factors. Diego Gómez missed a sitter to win it for Brighton within the ninety fifth minute.
Enormous information within the race for the Champions League: Newcastle have discovered a late equaliser at Brighton, with Alexander Isak changing a penalty kick. That sport, now 1-1, is now into stoppage time and you’ll comply with the closing moments right here.
That’s what that purpose does to the stay desk. A draw on the Amex and a win for Chelsea right here will imply the Blues draw degree on factors with Newcastle, with three video games to play.
A reminder that there have been three Champions League semi-finals within the 2000s performed out between these two sides (and one quarter-final in 2008-09).
Wesley Fofana apart, Chelsea are roughly at full power, with Lavia’s re-emergence into the XI shifting Caicedo to proper again. A penny for the ideas of Reece James on Chelsea’s bench.
Liverpool do make some adjustments: Quansah, Tsimikas, Endo, Elliott all begin, however that is removed from a makeshift aspect. And Konate, Diaz, Szoboszlai and Mac Allister all lurk on Liverpool’s bench.
The groups!
Chelsea: Sanchez, Caicedo, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella, Lavia, Fernandez, Pedro Neto, Palmer, Madueke, Jackson.
Subs: Jorgensen, Adarabioyo, Badiashile, Dewsbury-Corridor, James, Gusto, George, Acheampong.
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah, van Dijk, Tsimikas, Endo, Jones, Salah, Elliott, Gakpo, Jota.
Subs: Kelleher, Konate, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Nunez, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Robertson, Bradley.
Preamble
What a pleasure it’s to report on a Premier League sport the place there may be truly one thing at stake. Liverpool could have sewn up the league title final weekend, however issues stay very a lot within the stability for Chelsea, who’re wildly chasing Champions League qualification alongside Manchester Metropolis, Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Aston Villa.
Three groups presently lie on 60 factors, with fifth-placed Chelsea presently holding the ultimate Champions League spot on purpose distinction. It’s squeaky-bum time for the Blues, who shall be determined to return to Europe’s elite competitors after a few years within the wilderness of Convention League, and many others.
There may need been sore heads initially of this week however don’t anticipate Liverpool to be off the tempo. Slot’s aspect don’t have anything tangible left to play for however many gamers shall be nervously wanting over their shoulders earlier than the summer season switch window opens, hoping to retain their place for subsequent season. The perimeter gamers shall be beneath the best stress to make their mark, and Slot could area a good few of them as we speak.
The Reds didn’t spend closely final 12 months in any respect, and the supervisor has already talked about he’s eyeing recent recruits.
It’s definitely an intriguing match between two giants of the English sport, though not for the conventional causes.
Kick-off: 4.30pm BST.
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