Chelsea will go up against an Andoni Iraola side that is starting to find their feet after Liverpool’s 2-0 win against Brighton on Sunday. The move saw the Reds jump from fifth (12 points) to fourth (15 points), one behind third-placed Brighton. It was also Iraola’s first home win in the Premier League since taking over from Arne Slot in June, given how slow his start at Anfield has been.
Florian Wirtz’s creativity, Bradley Barcola’s work rate and Alexander Isak’s clinical touch have been key for Liverpool. Wirtz opened the scoring with a deflected shot in the 17th minute, and the German’s effort was put down by a Pascal Gross own goal. Four minutes later, Barcola stole the ball off Olivier Boscagli before delivering a cross for Isak to net. The Swedish forward now has six goals in his last seven league games. Meanwhile, Wirtz leads the league in chances created.
Iraola’s side don’t need to be in possession to cause damage, with the stats showing they had only 36% of the ball against Brighton. They were outdone in expected goals (0.87 vs 1.35) but dominated in expected goals on target (1.10 vs 0.09). They also won 70% of aerial duels and made 35 clearances.
This lack of possession could open up chances for Chelsea. Brighton had 79 entries into the final third, 39 touches in Liverpool’s box and 17 shots. They also hit the woodwork through Yasin Ayari. They made 16 interceptions compared to just five for Liverpool, showing that Liverpool can be vulnerable when under pressure in their build-up play.
Injuries will also trouble Andoni Iraola’s side. Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong are both sidelined with hamstring injuries. Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley and Giovanni Leoni are all long-term absentees. Victor Munoz is a doubt with a knee injury, and Wirtz is nursing an ankle knock.
Some rotation is likely as Arsenal come to Anfield on Sunday, November 1. Iraola made 10 changes in their 3-1 third-round win over Tottenham, with Ronald Araujo the only player to keep his spot.
Andoni Iraola: It’s the Worst Scenario – Game, Two Days, Game
Iraola has been upfront in stating the busy schedule has taken its toll. Ahead of their third-round clash with Tottenham in September, Iraola explained how the hectic schedule has influenced his team selection. Iraola stated,
“I think it [the workload] has to affect, definitely, because it’s the third game. It’s the worst scenario – it’s game, two days, game, two days, game.”
The Basque manager faces a similar situation this week. After beating Brighton, they host Chelsea on Wednesday and then Arsenal on Sunday, with Champions League football also in the mix. This leaves little time to recover.
However, Chelsea may face a completely different Liverpool side than the players who beat Brighton. That said, the 3-1 win against Spurs showed that Iraola’s squad members can fight well in this competition.