Liverpool line-ups with drastic changes and Darwin…

Liverpool line-ups with drastic changes and Darwin Nunez decision made against Chelsea

Gomez temptation resisted but midfield options aren't there

Paul Gorst: One of the big criticisms of Jurgen Klopp this season has been his insistence of playing the same formation, system and style and expecting different results from his underperforming Liverpool players.

It's a valid critique of the Reds manager but with barely a full training session between the miserable defeat at Manchester City on Saturday and this one tonight, there is simply no chance to work on anything new, so it's very much the same again at Stamford Bridge.

The good news for Liverpool is Chelsea are the one team inside last season's top six who have had a worse season than them. The bad news is the Reds have now lost eight of their nine Premier League games away from Anfield.

The temptation to start Joe Gomez at right-back is a big one but I'm sticking with Trent Alexander-Arnold alongside Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk and Andy Robertson. Just.

In midfield, the options are drying up, so I'm keeping the same trio who started at the Etihad, meaning Harvey Elliott is in there alongside Fabinho and captain Jordan Henderson.

Up top, I am restoring Darwin Nunez to the side on the left of the front three with Diogo Jota lying in reserve next to Roberto Firmino.

My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Fabinho, Henderson, Elliott; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez.

Drastic changes because it can't be any worse

Ian Doyle: Enough is enough. It's time for changes for Liverpool after their rubbish second half at Manchester City at the weekend.

And I'd be tempted to make an awful lot of them for the Premier League trip to Chelsea this evening.

Not in goal, though. That's Alisson Becker. And Ibrahima Konate can stay at centre-back.

The rest of the defence, though, can step down. That means Kostas Tsimikas at left-back, Joe Gomez at right-back and Joel Matip coming in to the centre.

There aren't many options in midfield but that doesn't mean things can't be rotated.

James Milner can come in to anchor role, with Curtis Jones to his left and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to his right.

Up top, Darwin Nunez returns on the left, with Roberto Firmino down the middle and Mohamed Salah on the right.

Drastic? Of course. But why shouldn't it be? It can't be any worse than Saturday.

My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Gomez, Matip, Konate, Tsimikas; Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones; Salah, Firmino, Nunez.

Trent out of the firing line and Jota drops out

Joe Rimmer: It was a pitiful second half against Manchester City and changes at Chelsea are inevitable, but Jurgen Klopp should resist making too any of them.

There could be no complaints if Klopp made many of them at Stamford Bridge but the hard truth is that Liverpool simply don't have the options to do so.

Saying that, I'd take Trent Alexander-Arnold out of the firing line and put Joe Gomez into the team at right-back. Mistakes were made against Man City but I'm not a fan of changing both full backs so Andy Robertson stays put.

Virgil van Dijk could have no complaints for being benched but I'm not convinced Joel Matip offers much of an upgrade so he'll stay alongside Ibrahima Konate, who I thought actually did okay against City.

Fabinho stays in midfield - though not on merit - but James Milner replaces Jordan Henderson and Curtis Jones comes in from the cold to start in place of Harvey Elliott.

Darwin Nunez needs to come back in though and does so for Diogo Jota, who is still searching to fit in after his return from injury.

My team (4-3-3): Alisson; Gomez, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Fabinho, Milner, Jones; Salah, Gakpo, Nunez.

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