Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Sunday seeking a result that would kill off the Blues’ hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League and guarantee the Reds a place at Europe’s top table once more.
Of course, Jurgen Klopp’s men have got the final of this season’s competition as a potential route back in, in the event that they contrive to let Chelsea into the top four but the German would ideally want it to be resolved as soon as possible.
Antonio Conte’s men have enjoyed something of a resurgence in recent weeks, perhaps inspired by the comeback win at St Mary’s last month and will be looking to build momentum ahead of their Wembley date with Manchester United in the final of the FA Cup later this month.
That means that Klopp, as he returns to reality after the euphoria of Liverpool’s Champions League exploits, has no shortage of pressing questions to answer in pursuit of a result at the Bridge.
Football FanCast have taken a closer look at some of them…
Rotate or remain at full-strength?
The showpiece final in Kiev must be weighing heavily on Klopp’s mind and his thin squad is already struggling under the weight of injuries, so he will be considering rotation here.
On the flip side, the reason the race for the top four is even still alive is that under-strength Liverpool teams have laboured to just two points from games against Stoke and West Brom, the Premier League’s bottom two sides.
Nathaniel Clyne, Danny Ings, Dominic Solanke, Ben Woodburn and Alberto Moreno all represent a considerable drop-off in quality from the first team options but fielding some of them may be a necessary evil in order to preserve Liverpool’s squad for the greater challenges that lie ahead.
Go all out for victory or play for the draw?
It seems like a stupid question, given Klopp’s aggressive approach towards football, but if he does choose to rotate, he may feel that a slightly cagier gameplan is needed here.
Liverpool only need a point, and if they have that going into the later stages, it would be foolish to chase victory and risk a defeat that would pile unnecessary pressure onto their final game of the season, at home to Brighton.
Chelsea should go all out for victory and if Liverpool are forced to soak up pressure to secure the precious point they need then that would suit their fans just fine, as much as they’re enjoying Klopp’s adventurous tactics this season.
How do they deal with Giroud?
Chelsea have more creative players – Eden Hazard, Willian and Cesc Fabregas – but Giroud’s aerial presence and recent return to form make him a major threat to Liverpool.
The Reds are notoriously poor at defending set-pieces and crosses; Edin Dzeko, a very similar style of player to the former Arsenal man, valued at £18m by Transfermarkt, will hope to have similar joy on Sunday.
He is also adept at holding the ball up and feeding playmakers, which could also serve to exploit Liverpool’s lack of a disciplined holding midfielder.
Klopp must find a way to keep the Frenchman quiet.
[ad_pod ]