To quote Antonio Conte, Liverpool are like a wounded animal heading into their Premier League clash with Chelsea tonight. And to paraphrase my uncle who used to work at Seaworld, a wounded dolphin will happily bite your face off if it thinks that’ll stop the pain. In some cases, said dolphin might well be right.
Make no mistake about it, the Reds are hurting at the minute. They’re still chasing a first Premier League win of 2017 and have been eliminated from both the EFL Cup and FA Cup within the last week, following defeats at the hands of Southampton and Wolves respectively.
But there’s no doubt this is a high-quality Reds side; just a few weeks ago, we were talking about them as Chelsea’s main competitors in the title race; and Jurgen Klopp’s boys will be desperate to come back with a bang in front of the Anfield support.
Indeed, the path to victory on Merseyside, even amid current circumstances, is a complex and treacherous one, thwart with inevitable Premier League drama. Fortunately for Conte, we have a three-step guide to beating the Reds.
The Danger Man – Sadio Mane
Having returned from AFCON – albeit, after missing the penalty that saw his beloved Senegal eliminated from the tournament – all eyes will be on Sadio Mane tonight as the Premier League waits to see whether Liverpool’s top scorer can revive their season single-handedly.
No doubt, the Merseysiders have missed the winger-forward’s penetrative pace during his month-long absence, which saw them net just five goals in six games, with Daniel Sturridge misfiring and Adam Lallana failing to provide the same sort of dynamism on the right wing.
Not too many have got past Chelsea’s Marcos Alonso this season but Mane will be a real test for the wing-back, more than capable of exploiting any space he leaves behind with explosive speed and proven netting prowess. Whether the 24-year-old has fully recovered from his AFCON heartache, however, remains to be seen.
The Key Battle – Jordan Henderson vs. N’Golo Kante & Nemanja Matic
Much of Chelsea’s success in their 3-4-3 set-up hinges on Nemanja Matic and N’Golo Kante’s ability to cope with two-versus-three scenarios in midfield. Indeed, although both push forward when the opportunities arise, it’s their defensive nous and physicality that stops the Blues being overrun in the middle of the park when coming up against the Premier League’s customary 4-2-3-1 variations.
But rewind to the reverse fixture in September and Jordan Henderson absolutely ran riot against the pair, who were at that time operating as a double-pivot, even getting on the scoresheet with that unforgettable ripper from outside the box.
Although the England midfielder’s form hasn’t been quite so resounding in recent weeks, he’s still pivotal to how Liverpool play – controlling the flow of the attack when his side are in possession whilst stifling counter-attacks when they lose the ball.
Whether it requires dropping deeper to cut out his forward passes or closing down higher to ensure he isn’t allowed time on the ball, Matic and Kante simply can’t allow for a repeat of the Hendo-show at Anfield.
Liverpool’s Weakness – Confidence
After dropping out of two cup competitions in the space of a week and picking up just one win in 2017, it’s hard to pinpoint one Liverpool weakness right now; neither of their goalkeepers instil any belief in a shaky and somewhat makeshift defence, whilst a suddenly clumsy midfield is failing to supply a blunt forward line struggling for goals.
In short, Jurgen Klopp has fires to put out in all departments before kickoff but if there’s one common theme Chelsea can take advantage of, it’s quite simply confidence.
We’d never rule out Liverpool coming back with a bang – this is a very talented side with a strong track record against high quality opposition – but if the Blues can mount pressure early at Anfield, an already disillusioned crowd could quickly become apathetic, which will undoubtedly trickle into the mood of the players.
In essence, if Chelsea dominate the early stages, Liverpool might not have enough confidence to get back into the game. They know losing this one will reduce their entire season to simply Champions League qualification at best, and that’s undoubtedly a heavyweight on the players’ shoulders.
