It's the Reds vs the Blues at Anfield on Saturday as Arne Slot looks to end the campaign on a high and bounce back from last week's disappointing defeat at Manchester United
07:00, 09 May 2026
Reece James of Chelsea battles for possession with Alexander Isak of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on October 04, 2025 in London, England.
How to watch Liverpool vs Chelsea(Image: Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool hosts Chelsea on Saturday in its penultimate home match of the season.
The Reds head into the game knowing they could secure a top-five finish if they emerge victorious and results elsewhere go in their favor. Liverpool had won three in a row prior to last week’s defeat at Old Trafford, while Chelsea has lost its previous six Premier League encounters.
The Blues can no longer catch Liverpool in the table and will head to Anfield with several absentees, including Rob Sanchez, Jesse Derry, Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho. However, Reece James and Levi Colwill have returned and are in contention to start.
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“If the information is correct, a few of their players that they've been really missing have come back,” Arne Slot said ahead of the game.
“So, it will probably be a stronger team than last week – if the players that they say are back are back. That will be massive for them, as it is for any team. If you miss out on your best players, that's never helpful to get results.”
As for Liverpool, Alexander Isak is expected to return after missing last week’s defeat against Manchester United, while Giorgi Mamardashvili could also feature for the first time since last month’s Merseyside derby win.
However, Alisson and Mohamed Salah remain absent.
WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: Alisson Becker, Mohamed Salah and Andrew Robertson of Liverpool celebrates victory following the Emirates FA Cup Fifth Round match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Liverpool on March 06, 2026 in Wolverhampton, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
Alisson and Salah will miss Saturday's game(Image: Getty Images)
Saturday’s match kicks off at 12:30 BST (07:30 ET, 04:30 PT). In the UK, the game will be shown live on TNT Sports and can be streamed via HBO Max. In the USA, it will be broadcast on the USA Network.
Chelsea won the last meeting between the sides in October, one of the Reds’ bruising losses in a run of nine defeats in 12.
A lot has changed for both clubs since then, including Chelsea sacking two managers. Interim head coach Calum McFarlane will take charge of the team at Anfield, and Slot said, despite the upheaval in West London, it is still possible to make an accurate assessment of the opposition.
LONDON, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 04: Estevao of Chelsea celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on October 04, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
Chelsea won the last meeting 2-1 earlier this season(Image: Darren Walsh, Chelsea FC via Getty Images)
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“Yeah, absolutely, because all managers have their own idea about football. What I mean, they've had three this season and I think the current manager is a bit closer to what [Enzo] Maresca usually did,” the Dutchman said in Friday’s press conference.
“So, he has a very clear identity in how he plays, so it's exactly clear what to expect. It's usually the three-box-three they are playing with.
“It depends a little bit with which players they are using, how they fill in the positions. They have a very clear identity, as they had under [Liam] Rosenior, but they also have a clear identity under this manager.”