Liverpool are starting to look like genuine title contenders once again. They have passed virtually every assignment and the absence of Mohamed Salah hasn’t been too telling, with the Egyptian expected to return for this clash against his former club. The Reds are hot favourites to claim a victory on 31 January although there’s an element of jeopardy with this fixture.

After all, Chelsea have got nothing to lose when they travel to Anfield and there are signs that they are improving under Mauricio Pochettino. The actual starting 11 features players who are capable of propelling the team up the table, with Ben Chilwell having recently made a long-awaited return from injury.

Raheem Sterling will line up against his former club, with Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo operating in tandem in the midfield, although Alexis Mac Allister earned rave reviews from Jurgen Klopp for his recent performance against Bournemouth, while Darwin Nunez should be capable of causing problems for the visitors’ rearguard.

It should be borne in mind that Chelsea have already lost five times on the road this season and there is a seventeen-point gap between themselves and Liverpool in the table. The best bet could be a home win along with both teams to score, with a 2-1 or 3-1 victory in favour of the Reds keeping them on track when it comes to their top-flight title assault.

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