Liverpool’s Brazilian midfielder Roberto Firmino (C) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal on November 21, 2017 at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan stadium in Sevilla during the UEFA Champions League group E football match between Sevilla FC and Liverpool FC. / AFP PHOTO / CRISTINA QUICLER
Liverpool will aim to extend their unbeaten run against Chelsea to six games when they welcome the defending Premier League champions to Anfield today, reports espn.co.uk.
The last time Chelsea defeated Liverpool in the Premier League was on November 8, 2014, a 2-1 away victory thanks to goals from Gary Cahill and Diego Costa. Chelsea, in fact, have not lost any of their last five Premier League visits to Anfield; their last defeat there was on May 8, 2012.
That current five-game run for Liverpool includes two victories, though both were earned at Stamford Bridge — including one last season.
All told, this will be the 55th meeting between the two sides in all competitions since the start of 2000, making it the most-played fixture among clubs within England’s top four tiers.
And, both teams have scored in 11 of their last 12 meetings in the Premier League, with the exception being Chelsea’s 2-0 victory at Anfield on April 27, 2014.
Chelsea will be the last of the “Big Six” opponents that Liverpool have yet to face this season, having taken just four points from their previous four games — a victory against Arsenal, a draw against Manchester United and defeats to Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
Still, their 37 points in 22 games are the most of any Premier League team against that group since Jurgen Klopp took over as Liverpool manager in October 2015. Chelsea, in that same span, have claimed 31 points in 22 games.
One player to watch today will be Mohamed Salah, who joined Liverpool this summer from Roma on a £34.3 million transfer. Salah has scored nine times in his first 12 Premier League games for Liverpool — the most goals of any player for the club in that time — after scoring just two goals in 13 appearances in the competition for Chelsea during the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.
As for Chelsea, Alvaro Morata has contributed to 12 goals in the Premier League, scoring eight and assisting on four others. That’s more than any other player has had a hand in over his first 11 games for the club in the history of the competition.
Between Morata, Marcos Alonso, Pedro and Cesar Azpilicueta, Spanish players have scored 15 league goals for Chelsea this season. Only two teams in La Liga — Real Sociedad and Valencia — have had more of their goals scored by Spanish players in 2017-18.
Alonso, who has three Premier League goals this season, scored in Chelsea’s last Premier League game against West Bromwich Albion. The assist, delivered by Cesc Fabregas, means that Alonso became the 42nd player Fabregas has set up in the Premier League — and only Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs, who assisted 45 players over 22 seasons, has set up more goals in the history of the competition.
