Liverpool predicted line-up vs Chelsea as Jurgen Klopp…

Liverpool predicted line-up vs Chelsea as Jurgen Klopp gives midfielder one more chance

For the past 20 years, Liverpool v Chelsea has been a headline fixture that has delivered excitement and drama in equal measure.

So it is a bit of a surprise that the two teams will meet today positioned ninth and tenth in the Premier League. While the Reds have struggled with injuries and life after Sadio Mane, capital club Chelsea are seemingly trying to spend their way out of trouble with a wild January spending spree.

A lack of consistency has prevented Jurgen Klopp's side from making any meaningful challenge on the top four all season so the time has definitely come to reward players who can get into form and stay in it. As as result, this is how I think Jurgen Klopp will line up his starting XI today.

Liverpool have changed their back-four line-up more often than the drifters this season, but stability is the key against Chelsea. With possible player of the season Alisson Becker back in goal, Klopp will go with a defensive line from right to left of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson. Centre-back Gomez would not automatically get the nod ahead of Joel Matip, but the ex-Cameroon international's disastrous performance against Brighton, coupled with Gomez' perfectly OK one against Wolves, sees the younger man get the nod alongside Konate.

Liverpool's midfield looked better on Tuesday night, with a lack of energy a real problem in the sorry Brighton defeat, so Naby Keita gets another chance to prove his worth alongside Thiago Alcantara. Stefan Bajectic was superb in the anchor role at Molineux and has received praise from his manager, but in the big-game environment of a match against Chelsea, it's Fabinho who gets the nod.

The Brazilian has been well below his best all season however and if he fails to do the business here today, he could well find an 18-year-old Spaniard taking his place the following week. The pressure is on.

Up front Mohamed Salah keeps his regular right-hand-side berth with Darwin Nunez returning to centre fireworks. The Uruguayan scored on his last outing at Anfield before suffering an injury and he will be gunning for more here. We haven't seen too much of Cody Gakpo in his early matches for the Reds, but his sizeable presence can give The Blues plenty to think about and if things aren't going well, there will be a pumped-up Harvey Elliott on hand to mix things up a bit.

Jurgen Klopp predicted starting XI (4-3-3): Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Gomez, Konate, Robertson, Fabinho, Keita, Thiago, Salah, Nunez, Gakpo

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