CHELSEA and Liverpool are both looking to bounce back from desperately disappointing Premier League campaigns as they kick off the new season with a blockbuster clash at Stamford Bridge.
Having come so close to an unprecedented Quadruple in 2021/22, few people expected Jurgen Klopp's side to finish outside the top four last term and end up missing out on any silverware.
An impressive late rally saw them finish in fifth place but Liverpool looked a tired team in need of a revamp, with Klopp deciding to tear up his midfield this summer in a bid to bring the spark back.
But their campaign still looked like a roaring success when compared to the comedy show at Stamford Bridge as Chelsea stumbled from one crisis to another.
The decision to dump Champions League-winning boss Thomas Tuchel backfired spectacularly, with successor Graham Potter also axed just seven months into a lucrative five-year deal.
To make matters worse, Frank Lampard then returned for an ill-fated spell that saw him lose six games in a row as a squad that cost almost £600million to assemble effectively downed tools.
Chelsea are hoping the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino can get Todd Boehly's expensive project back on track and the former Tottenham boss has a point to prove after an underwhelming spell at Paris St-Germain.
More money has been spent looking to fill the gaping void at centre forward but marquee signing Christopher Nkunku now faces a long spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.
That's a blow to Pochettino but he still has a squad blessed with talent and it will be interesting to see if he can get a tune out of the players who flopped so spectacularly last season.
How the bookies view it
This is a tough one to call with both sides in transition but Liverpool are slight favourites at 7/5 with Midnite. Chelsea's best price is 21/10 at BetUK while the draw pays 11/4 with QuinnBet.
Recent head to head
Fans haven't got much entertainment out of this fixture recently, with the last four meetings ending in 0-0 stalemates. It has ended level for six games in a row and you have to go all the way back to 2018 for Chelsea's last home league win over Liverpool.
Players to watch
New boy Nicolas Jackson should lead the line for Chelsea after his summer move from Villarreal. The Senegalese striker had a decent scoring record in La Liga and is 49/20 with Unibet to open his Premier League account.
Liverpool fans have faced a nervous summer with star player Mo Salah linked with a lucrative move to Saudi Arabia. But the Egyptian remains at Anfield and scored against Darmstadt in their last warm-up game. The winger is 2/1 at William Hill for anytime scorer and that looks overpriced for a player with his scoring record.
Anything else catch the eye?
Betting against thrills paid off for me when these sides ground out a stalemate in their last meeting but Liverpool's pre-season form suggests we'll see a few goals this time. Their five summer friendlies have produced 29 goals with BTTS landing in all but one game so that's why over 2.5 goals is a best 7/10 at 888Sport for the Premiership opener while BTTS is just 7/12 with VBet. Those odds are poor but over 1.5 first-half strikes is better at 6/4 with Bet365.
Cards are always a good option in this fixture and even more so here given refs have been told to adopt a stricter approach this season. Andy Robertson picked up seven yellows last term and will be tested with Chelsea boasting some speedy wingers so the 4/1 at Unibet for the Scot to pick up a card looks good value.
The same firm always have good stats bets and a couple stand out for this game. Mykhaylo Mudryk could get a new lease of life under Pochettino after flopping last term following his big-money move from Shakhtar Donetsk. The winger is 27/20 just to have a shot on target and that looks decent, especially if he's handed a start. I also like the 11/10 Unibet are offering on over 2.5 Chelsea offsides if Liverpool persist with the high line that made them vulnerable last term.
This English Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool will be played on Aug 13, 2023 and kick off at 16:30. Check below for our tipsters best Chelsea vs Liverpool prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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