Chelsea and Liverpool set for a cagey game

Chelsea and Liverpool square off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in an encounter that will go a long way to deciding who the most meaningful rivals are to Manchester City’s Premier League dominance.

Both clubs slipped up in midweek. Chelsea conceded late to draw 1-1 at home with Brighton in a continuation of their mediocre recent form, while Liverpool’s 1-0 loss to a depleted Leicester ranked as a major upset. Title hopes, then, are on the line already in west London.

Chelsea can be backed at 3.1 to win this game, with Liverpool on offer at 2.42 and the draw priced at 3.6.

Winter blues

Chelsea have endured a rocky period of form since the beginning of November. Four wins in 10 matches have seen them slide from top spot to trailing Manchester City by eight points, while Liverpool are only one point back having played one game fewer.

Wednesday’s draw was just the latest setback to hit Thomas Tuchel’s stuttering side. What was perhaps most alarming, though, was that Chelsea deserved no better.

One plus was Romelu Lukaku’s first Premier League goal since September, though there remains a sense that the full potential of the Belgian has not been successfully unlocked, and the relationship between him and his manager seems strained.

The Blues have struggled in front of goal lately, netting one goal or fewer in three of their last four Premier League matches.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp will be looking for his side to bounce back after their defeat at Leicester

Klopp seeking better

Liverpool are seeking to become just the second side in Premier League history to win three successive games at Stamford Bridge. No club has achieved this feat since Blackburn 25 years ago.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have found little joy in travelling to London this season, though. They have dropped points in draws against Brentford and Tottenham, while they also suffered a 3-2 loss against West Ham.

Recent form, too, has been below their usual high standards. The German notably bemoaned the slow speed of ball movement from his side during their midweek defeat. This will have to improve to unlock a stout Chelsea defence.

There are echoes of the festive collapse the Anfield outfit suffered last season, when they won only twice in 11 games between Christmas and late February.

Cagey match in store

With much on the line, a tight match is on the cards. A low-scoring first-half is a probability, reflected by odds of 2.74 in Over 1.5 in the First Half Over/Under market.

Neither Chelsea nor Liverpool have trailed at the break in any Premier League fixture this season – the only clubs to boast this achievement. The Blues have gone in at half-time level in exactly half of their matches, while their opponents have been all square after 45 minutes in eight of 19.

The price of 2.2 for these teams to be level at the break is, therefore, an attractive one.

Recommended Bet

Half-time result: Draw @ 2.2