Chelsea vs. Liverpool, Premier League: Preview, team news, how to watch

Liverpool absolutely smashed Spurs last weekend, 5-1 at Anfield to officially confirm what’s been obvious for quite some time. Liverpool are the Champions of England: their second Premier League title in the last five years and their record-equalling 20th top flight crown. They remain the only team other than Manchester City to be able to win the Premier League since Chelsea last won it under Antonio Conte in 2017.

Manager Arne Slot accomplished what used to be a very Chelsea thing to do: win the league on your first try. He joins José Mourinho (2004-05), Carlo Ancelotti (2009-10), Antonio Conte (2016-17), and Manuel Pellegrini (2013-14 with Man City) in winning the Premier League in their first season.

Congrats to them. Hopefully they’re now all on vacation mentally, and we can just grab these three crucial points in the race for the top-five: the only race that is left in a league with the title and relegation already long decided.

Manchester City and Aston Villa have already won this weekend. Newcastle are away to Brighton while a slumping Nottingham Forest, who lost their game in-hand midweek, are away to FA Cup finalists Crystal Palace on Monday.

Every point matters the most.

Date / Time: Sunday, May the 4th be with you; 16.30 BST; 11:30am EDT: 9pm IST
Venue: Stamford Bridge, SW6
Referee: Simon Hooper (on pitch); John Brooks (VAR)
Forecast: A bit cooler, breezy

On TV: Sky Sports Main Event (UK); none (USA); Star Sports Select HD1 (India); SuperSport Premier League, Canal+ Sport 3 (NGA); elsewhere
Streaming: Sky Go (UK); Peacock (USA); Disney+ Hotstar (India); DStv Now (NGA)

Chelsea team news: We’re ending the season in decent form at least as far as injuries are concerned, having reduced our numbers in the treatment room to a fairly manageable few in recent weeks. This is a marked change not only from the rest of the season, but the last few years overall, so hopefully it continues.

Wesley Fofana is out for the season of course, but otherwise, it’s only Marc Guiu and Christopher Nkunku who are noteworthy absentees. (Future Chelsea trivia answers Aaron Anselmino and Omari Kellyman are also on the list, as is the suspended Mykhailo Mudryk.) Guiu should be back shortly while I suspect Nkunku’s absence has as much to do with his expected departure this summer as with any actual injury.

On the pitch, our form has improved recently as well, and not just by beating up minnows in the UEFA Conference League. We’ve lost just two Premier League matches at home all season, and are currently unbeaten in eight (with six wins) at the Bridge. We even won a game away, picking up three points at Craven Cottage the other week!

If we can keep that form going — and maybe thaw out Cole Palmer somehow? — we might just welcome back Champions League football next season. Two of our last four are against direct rivals for the top-five (Newcastle, Forest, both away), so our fate is fully in our own hands.

Liverpool team news: Having confirmed the entirely obvious outcome of the league last weekend, Liverpool will be getting a guard of honor as they walk out from the tunnel on Sunday. Their practically unchallenged waltz to the top spot was almost undramatic to a fault, with Slot tweaking the team just enough from the delightful chaos of Jürgen Klopp to easily dispatch the rest of the competition — especially with Manchester City collapsing, Chelsea talking ourselves out of contention, and Arsenal being Arsenal.

Mo Salah had himself a career year, as did Luis Díaz; Ryan Gravenberch emerged as a proper midfielder; Alisson and Virgil van Dijk remained imperious, and youngsters chipped in when needed. And my fellow Hungarian, Dominik Szoboszlai turned out to be just as good as advertised. Pride of a nation!

There is a slight sense that this may have been the final hurrah of this near-dynasty for Liverpool, but Salah and Van Dijk both signed on for a couple more years, so they’ll go again next year.

Joe Gomez is the only injury of note for the Champions.

View from the enemy: The Liverpool Offside

Previously: It is now ten (10!) in a row without a win against Liverpool, stretching back four years to 2021 and a goal from Mason Mount at Anfield. We haven’t won a league game against them at the Bridge since 2018, almost exactly seven (7!) years ago. Not great!