Liverpool v Chelsea LIVE: Team news from crucial Premier League clash at Anfield – UK Times

Liverpool set the standards last season. The Premier League table provides some proof those standards have slipped on the pitch; so, too, the total of 18 defeats in all competitions. Yet the attention has been diverted to the standards off the pitch.

Mohamed Salah said he felt the bond in the dressing room is changing; he spoke of his concerns about the mentality in the dressing room. A man whose chiselled physique is testament to his work ethic said players need to get in early to go the gym, which in turn will encourage others to.

For Arne Slot, the culture is not a problem; nor does he think it will be next season when Andy Robertson and Salah, two of the stalwarts of Jurgen Klopp’s great side, depart. Slot argued that there are enough cultural architects already in his side to weather the loss of two influential figures.

If the accusation was flying around that Liverpool were afforded too many days off, they have had fewer this year than in their title-winning campaign under Slot, or their final year under Klopp. One interpretation of their slide this year is that the culture Klopp and his senior players imbued is being dissipated and diluted with time. Slot does not concur.

Read Richard Jolly’s full analysis of the Liverpool situation

Things have been going very, very badly for Chelsea recently. They were right in the hunt for Champions League football but have now lost six straight Premier League games to drop to ninth.

Only Joao Pedro’s spectacular late consolation in the 3-1 defeat to Nottingham Forest last time out stopped them from going goalless for the entirety of that six-game streak…

They are now in serious danger of missing out on European football entirely, trailing seventh-placed Brentford by three points (the exact number of English teams in Europe next season is yet to be determined.

They do still have the FA Cup final against Man City later this month as another potential route to Europe as well.

Liverpool can take a big step towards Champions League football this lunchtime and maybe even seal it later today.

The Premier League top five will all qualify for competition due to England’s co-efficient and victory for Liverpool would put them nine points clear of Bournemouth in sixth, who only have three games left.

The first of those comes this afternoon away to Fulham, so any dropped points for Andoni Iraola’s side if the Reds have won earlier, would seal the deal for Arne Slot’s side.

Even if not mathematically secure today, Liverpool’s goal difference is nine better than Bournemouth currently, so victory would all but take them there.

Liverpool take on Chelsea this lunchtime with kick-off at Anfield at 12:30pm BST.

It will be shown live in the UK on TNT Sports 1 and HBO Max.

Chelsea should have Levi Colwill and Reece James available, with interim boss Calum McFarlane saying in his pre-match press conference: “We’ve got a few lads returning, so Levi’s trained another full week again, Reece as well, so it’s looking promising,”

However, Robert Sanchez is out due to a head injury and Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are doubts due to knocks.

Possible Chelsea XI: Jorgenson; James, Fofana, Colwill, Cucurella; Lavia, Caicedo; Palmer, Enzo, Pedro; Delap

Alexander Isak and goalkeeper and Giorgi Mamardashvili could return after missing the defeat at Manchester United, leaving Arne Slot with a decision as to whether to start with the injury-prone Swedish striker or bring him off the bench.

Alisson Becker and Mohamed Salah remain out but Florian Wirtz, who missed training with illness on Wednesday, is expected to be available.

Possible Liverpool XI: Mamardashvili; Jones, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Frimpong, Szoboszlai, Wirtz; Isak

Welcome to The Independent’s coverage of Liverpool v Chelsea.

Victory for the Reds would all but lock up Champions League qualification for another year, while crisis-hit Chelsea are desperately searching for a win from anywhere to stop their inexorable slide down the table and try to find some semblance of form ahead of the FA Cup final