Chelsea face a tough test in their search for a top-five spot in the Premier League this weekend, with the Blues welcoming league winners Liverpool to west London.
The Premier League title race may be over with four games to go, but there's still a dogfight for the Champions League spots this season, with a handful of teams still in contention for a top-five finish in the Premier League. Chelsea's 1-0 win over Everton on the weekend saw them end the gameweek in fifth, with Nottingham Forest dropping to sixth on goal difference after losing 2-0 to Brentford.
Just five points currently separate Newcastle in third and Aston Villa in seventh, so Chelsea will be desperate for three points when they take on Liverpool later today. The last meeting between the two saw the Blues fall to a 2-1 defeat against the Reds at Anfield, but after a 4-1 win away to Djurgarden in the Conference League midweek, Enzo Maresca won't feel the need to rotate ahead of the semi-final second leg next week.
So, could Chelsea defeat the Premier League champions at Stamford Bridge later today? Let's take a look...
Chelsea vs Liverpool score predicted
To complete this simulation, we used EA FC 25 and updated the squads with the latest injuries and suspensions.
We predict that Chelsea could set up in a 4-3-3 formation, with their line-up as follows: Sanchez; Caicedo, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia, Palmer, Fernandez; Madueke, Jackson, Neto.
We predict that Liverpool could line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with their starting XI as follows: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Diaz.
Liverpool almost took the lead when Luis Diaz flicked a long ball forward into the path of Cody Gakpo, but as he entered the box, his shot was smothered by Robert Sanchez, who made a fantastic save to deny the opener. The early chance gave the Reds a confidence boost, and 11 minutes in, they found themselves ahead.
Mohamed Salah made it 1-0 to Liverpool
Mohamed Salah made it 1-0 to Liverpool (Image: EA Sports)
A well-worked passing move saw Liverpool advance through the middle of the pitch with ease, with a drilled pass from Alexis Mac Allister finding Diaz on the last line of defence. The Colombian faked a shot before flicking the ball through to Mohamed Salah, and one-on-one, the Egyptian fired his shot into the roof of the net to make it 1-0 to Liverpool.
Just before the break, the visitors went 2-0 up when Diaz picked out the far corner with a curling effort from just inside the box, putting the Reds in a comfortable position at half-time. But, a strong start from Chelsea after the restart saw the Blues pull a goal back with half an hour to go.
Christopher Nkunku made it 2-1
Christopher Nkunku made it 2-1 (Image: EA Sports)
Christopher Nkunku was brought on as Maresca looked for a new goal threat in his attack, and he made an instant impact by getting on the scoresheet. Palmer fizzed the ball into his feet after he peeled away from Ibrahima Konate, and an early shot caught out Alisson, with his effort flying into the top corner to halve the deficit.
In the final few minutes of the game, Cole Palmer struck the post with a free-kick, and the Blues were unable to find the equaliser as they fell to a tough defeat at home.
EA FC 25 predicted final score: Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool
What do you think the final score will be? Let us know in the comments!
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Chelsea ended the 2023/24 Premier League season on a high, but it is never quiet at Stamford Bridge and the summer looks set to be one full of news, with question marks over Mauricio Pochettino's future at the club and plenty of talk around transfers.
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