The half time whistle blows at Anfield and that 1-1 scoreline is a pretty fair reflection on an intriguing first half.
Liverpool were good early on and deservedly took the lead through a Ryan Gravenberch banger, but they then sat back and let Chelsea back into the game.
The Blues had some big chances and Enzo Fernandez saw his free kick miss everyone and curl into the far corner.
Big 45 minutes coming up for both teams and we can surely expect to see the likes of Alexander Isak for Liverpool and Liam Delap for Chelsea very soon.
It is allllll Chelsea now and they are pushing to go ahead before the break.
Enzo Fernanez is played in and thumps an effort on goal but Giorgi Mamardashvili stays tall and beats the effort away.
Arne Slot looks very concerned on the sidelines and rightly so. Liverpool are all over the place at the back and a couple of slick passes from Chelsea is cutting right through them. This is way too easy for Chelsea.
The Blues deserve that equalizer as they’ve been well on top in the last 15 minutes.
Enzo Fernandez’s free kick is whipped in to a really dangerous area and Wesley Fofana attacks it but doesn’t seem to get any contact on the ball.
Chelsea deservedly equalize and make it 1-1 in the 36th minute. What a great open game this has become!
That is a great stop from Giorgi Mamardashvili down low and he celebrates accordingly.
Chelsea get in down the left, as they’ve done a few times now, and a slot shot across goal from Marc Cucurella is on target but Mamardashvili gets a touch on it and Liverpool clear.
After plenty of early struggles Chelsea are now getting into this. They have settled down now.
Liverpool still ahead after 30 minutes but a few moans and groans are breaking out at Anfield.
Joao Pedro almost gets in!
Chelsea first real sight of goal today as Joao Pedro is played in through the middle.
That is much better from the Blues as a ball is played in behind the Liverpool defense centrally and finds Joao Pedro.
He has a look at goal but Giorgi Mamardashvili rushes off his line to clear the danger. Good goalkeeping from Liverpool’s second-choice stopper.
Some hope for Chelsea there but Liverpool are looking pretty comfortable for the most part. 22 minutes in, and it’s still Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea.
A cross to the back post finds Virgil van Dijk totally unmarked.
He almost had too much time to think about the finish but he scuffs the volley into the ground and it bounces up and over the bar.
Van Dijk may have been offside as Enzo Fernandez just let him go, but it was tight. Great back to the back post to find VVD and it is all Liverpool early on.
Chelsea are dropping deeper and deeper and just can’t get out. Anfield is loving it!
What a hit from Ryan Gravenberch to give Liverpool the lead against Chelsea!
The Dutch midfielder is found by Ngumoha on the edge of the box and his curler beats Jorgensen and hits the back of the net. It wasn’t right in the corner so the Chelsea goalkeeper may be disappointed with that one.
But still, that is some hit from Gravenberch and Anfield is buzzing.
After a rousing rendition of You’ll Never Walk Alone, Chelsea get us underway at Anfield in glorious sunshine.
Liverpool are on the ball and are trying to ease into the game early on and dictate the tempo of play.
Chelsea look to have Cole Palmer on the right wing in a very free role drifting around. Cody Gakpo, as expected, is lining up centrally for Liverpool.
Seeing the red and blue kits on this lovely green pitch just feels right. Proper football.
The team news has landed and there are quite a few surprises from both Liverpool and Chelsea.
Chelsea starting lineup
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Jorgensen; Fofana, Colwill, Hato; Gusto, Caicedo, Andrey Santos, Cucurella; Fernandez, Palmer; Joao Pedro
McFarlane looks to have gone to 3-4-2-1 formation to add some defensive solidity.
Liverpool starting lineup
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Mamardashvili; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkrz; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Ngumoha; Gakpo
Arne Slot has Isak on the bench in attack, while Mamardashvili is back in goal after his injury.
This is usually a feisty clash between two Premier League giants but both are a little subdued heading into this one.
Reigning Premier League champions Liverpool have struggled for consistency and were never in the running to defend their crown, as Arne Slot’s side will instead be delighted with rallying and rescuing Champions League qualification. They can clinch their UCL spot with a win today and other results going their way.
Chelsea are all over the place after six-straight league defeats. Caretaker boss Callum McFarlane is looking to make Chelsea more solid defensively and their season is all about winning the FA Cup final against Manchester City next weekend to salvage some kind of pride.
[Here is the full Liverpool vs Chelsea preview](https://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/news/how-to-watch-liverpool-vs-chelsea-live-stream-link-tv-channel-team-news-prediction) with team news and a score prediction.
Okay, before we get into things a bit deeper, here’s how you can watch Liverpool vs Chelsea live across the USA:
**How to watch** Liverpool vs Chelsea **live, stream link and start time**
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**Kick off time**: 7:30am ET Saturday
**Venue**: Anfield — Liverpool
**TV Channel**: Peacock
**Streaming**: [Stream live on Peacock](https://www.peacocktv.com/sports/premier-league?cid=2101sportsplsymedi1959&utm_campaign=2101sportspl&utm_source=nbcsports&utm_medium=sym_editorial_seoopt_article&utm_term=nbcsportsseo&utm_content=premierleague)
Here’s a look at how we can expect both Liverpool and Chelsea to lineup today at Anfield:
Liverpool predicted lineup
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Mamardashvili; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo; Isak
It is possible Mamardashvili could return from injury to replace third-choice Woodman in goal, while Curtis Jones is likely to remain at right back. In attack the quartet of Szoboszlai, Wirtz, Gakpo and Isak should start once again.
Chelsea predicted lineup
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Jorgensen; Gusto, Chalobah, Colwill, Cucurella; Caicedo, Lavia; Palmer, Fernandez, Joao Pedro; Delap
Reece James may be fit to play some part, while Colwill could make his first start as he made his comeback last weekend from his long-term injury. Andrey Santos or Romeo Lavia will partner Moises Caicedo in midfield. Pedro Neto and Robert Sanchez are out with injury, so Filip Jorgensen and Liam Delap will likely come in with Joao Pedro moving to a wide role.
It’s simple for Liverpool: win and they are all but in the UEFA Champions League.
Their spot in the Champions League next season could be confirmed this weekend if they win and other results go their way. Sealing that top five spot as early as possible is the main motivation for Slot, as he will then likely give plenty of his players a rest.
Chelsea’s main motivation is also clear: restore pride after a disastrous run of form.
A few weeks ago Chelsea looked certain to finish in the top five and qualify for the Champions League. Now they’re in ninth spot heading into this weekend and in real danger of not being in Europe at all next season. Yes, they have the FA Cup final against Manchester City next weekend, but before that their young, talented players need to show some kind of spark to give their fans hope of a big upset against City.
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