Chelsea vs Liverpool

Stepping out to their first guard of honour this season, newly-crowned Premier League champions Liverpool kick off their title celebrations with Sunday’s headline clash against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

The Reds secured their return to the pinnacle of English football, matching Manchester United’s record, with a commanding 5-1 thrashing of Tottenham Hotspur last weekend. Meanwhile, Chelsea netted one goal fewer in their Conference League rout of Djurgardens IF on Thursday.

Liverpool’s ascent to the top was never in doubt, even after former player Dominic Solanke briefly stunned Anfield by giving Tottenham an early lead. Yet, under the steady guidance of Arne Slot, Liverpool responded with resilience, firing five unanswered goals when just one would have sufficed to clinch the title with four games to spare.

From equalling Manchester United’s 20 top-flight titles, to Slot becoming the first Dutch manager—and only the fifth overall—to win the Premier League in his debut season, to matching a scoring record untouched for 129 years, last Sunday’s demolition of Spurs was a day of historic triumphs and joyful milestones.

Soon, Anfield will host its first in-person Premier League trophy lift, five years after Jurgen Klopp’s side claimed the title in an empty stadium during COVID. Slot’s squad, however, still has ambitions to chase, including securing eight more points to surpass the 90-point mark.

May has long been a joyful month for the new champions, who remain unbeaten in their last 20 Premier League matches played in the season’s final month. Fittingly, their last such defeat came against none other than their upcoming rivals.

Seven years after their memorable victory over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in May 2018, Chelsea prepare to face the newly crowned Premier League champions once again. However, history hasn’t been kind to the Blues in these matchups—they’ve managed just one win in their last six encounters against the league’s title holders.

That lone triumph came against Manchester United in the final stages of the 2012-13 season. But under Enzo Maresca, Chelsea are riding a wave of momentum, having strung together three consecutive wins across all competitions—bolstering their hopes for a strong finish both in the Premier League and in Europe.

Barring a stunning collapse at home, the Blues are all but assured a place in the Conference League final after demolishing Swedish side Djurgården 4-1 in the first leg of their semi-final. This followed crucial league wins over Fulham and Everton, further solidifying their form.

With Brentford’s recent victory over Nottingham Forest, fifth-placed Chelsea now control their own destiny in the race for Champions League qualification. Notably, they haven’t failed to score at Stamford Bridge in any competition since their August defeat to Manchester City—a streak spanning 24 consecutive home games.

Yet, their recent record against Liverpool remains a concern. Despite Nicolas Jackson finding the net at Anfield in October, Chelsea fell to a 2-1 defeat, extending their winless run against the Reds to double digits.