By Mark Strickland
Ironically, the Blues were the first league opposition to play Liverpool after Klopp announced he was leaving, with Diogo Jota, Conor Bradley, Dominik Szoboszlai and Luis Diaz all finding the net in a 4-1 rout.
The teams met the following month down at Wembley as Virgil van Dijk’s 118th-minute-header from a Kostas Tsimikas won Liverpool a record 10th League Cup.
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On having the best winning start of any Liverpool boss with nine out of 10, Slot said: “We are hoping to do more special things than this.”
The Dutch boss will however be without Alisson for several games after he suffered his second hamstring injury of the season saw the Brazilian goalkeeper limp off at Selhurst Park before the international break.
John Brooks will be the man in the middle and he last officiated Liverpool in the league in last season’s 2-1 away victory over Newcastle, dismissing van Dijk before Darwin Nunez’s heroics stole the show late on at St James’ Park.
The captain was also red-carded during the break in the Netherlands’ 1-1 draw away to Szoboszlai’s Hungary, returning to L4 early and getting some welcome rest ahead of a crazy schedule.
Chelsea are perhaps surprisingly unbeaten domestically since the opening day following on from another hectic summer and starman Cole Palmer has the most goal involvements (11) in the league.
Sitting fourth, they are currently on course to make a return to the Champions League – the trophy they won under new England manager Thomas Tuchel in 2021.
Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana are suspended after amassing five yellow cards, and manager Enzo Maresca said discipline “needs to improve” from his side.
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Predicted Lineup
XI: Caoimhin Kelleher, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai; Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz
Kelleher will deputise for the injured Alisson, and Mac Allister should be fit to start after playing 66 minutes for Argentina in a 6-0 victory at home to Bolivia on Wednesday.
Meanwhile. Harvey Elliott is nearing a return but is unlikely to be close to being ready for this Anfield occasion having stepped up his recovery from a fractured foot in the last couple of weeks.
Prediction: Liverpool 3-1 Chelsea
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