Chelsea and Liverpool are meeting in the 5th round of the FA Cup. This is without a doubt the most interesting match of the stage, and the one which will be the most tempting for the bettors all around the world.
Preview
Chelsea once again disappointed their fans, playing just 2-2 on the road against Bournemouth. It is safe to say that the Blues are in problems, and their recent results are supporting that claim. With two wins over the past eight matches, and three losses and draw apiece, Frank Lampard’s guys might be reaching the turning point of the season for them. Either will they overcome these adversities, or will crumble and record a pretty disappointing campaign. Chelsea hasn’t kept its net intact in eight straight events, furthermore, in five of them, the Blues allowed two or more scores. Six of the past seven contests finished with Over 2.5 goals, and that is the only constant thing in their performances. The situation with the injured players is a bit messy for the hosts, who have two important names questionable – Tammy Abraham and Christian Pulisic. Meanwhile, NGolo Kante and Jorginho are out, the first one due to an injury, and Jorginho because of a suspension.
Liverpool’s fantastic run in the Premiership ended last weekend at Vicarage Road against Watford, 3-0. According to Jurgen Klopp, that is a huge relief for the Reds, who don’t have the pressure of winning pressuring their backs anymore. But there is one other situation which just a few notices. The game against the Hornets was the second in a row on the road in which Liverpool failed to score. The EPL-leading side is playing a bit inconsistent when it comes to efficiency, and they have five matches with under and over 2.5 goals throughout the previous 10 games. We can’t quite say whether is L’Pool in a small decline, but two losses in the last three games are suggesting something like that. Jordan Henderson is out due to a hamstring injury, while Millner, Gomez, Keita, Clyne, and Shaqiri are all doubtful.
Head to Head Games
Throughout history, Chelsea and Liverpool played 184 games, and the Reds are better when looking at the overall score. They have 81 wins, 63 losses, and 41 events ended without winners. The most recent was at Stamford in September last year, here at Stamford, and Liverpool won 1-2. Alexander-Arnold and Firmino netted in the opening 30 minutes, with Kante decreasing midway through the second half. The Reds haven’t lost to this opponent in four consecutive, posting two wins and draws. One of those draws was in the UEFA Super Cup last summer, but they won that trophy after penalties.
Prediction
We aren’t informed about Liverpool’s possible lineup, because as you all know, Klopp stated on numerous occasions that he isn’t thrilled with cup competitions, and that they aren’t presenting a priority for him. Therefore, it is possible to see the Reds with a bit mixed lineup, and some of their crucial players sitting on the bench. Meanwhile, for Chelsea, this is one of the few ways to save the season, and Lampard is aware that an FA Cup trophy would erase many of his previous mistakes. A very motivated Chelsea on one, and a bit weakened Liverpool on the other side should provide a lot of goals. Chelsea’s defense is fragile, while the guests’ mixed team has its weaknesses. Because of all this, both teams to score and over 2.5 goals is our first choice here. BetXChange is offering 0.84 for this suggestion.
