Chelsea vs Liverpool

 

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea's Diego Costa hurt his ribs in midweek but the striker could play if the injury proves to be bruising rather than a fracture.

Pedro will be monitored after returning to training, while Nemanja Matic is back from a ban, but Branislav Ivanovic and Thibaut Courtois remain out.

Liverpool hope Christian Benteke will be available despite a knee problem.

Kolo Toure may miss out with a hamstring injury but James Milner returns from a one-match suspension.

MOTD COMMENTATOR'S NOTES

Guy Mowbray: "Special used to be normal for both these clubs, but these are far from 'normal' times.

"The word on the street is that Jose Mourinho will be out on his ear if Chelsea lose - but don't whisper that near him. He has as much time for the man on the street as the Sex Pistols' Sid Vicious had.

"Meanwhile, the new punk in town - fresh from his first win as Liverpool boss - will see this as a special challenge to savour.

"Before beating Bournemouth, Jurgen Klopp called for Reds players and fans alike to lose the fear of things going wrong.

"It's a message that Chelsea could do well to follow right now too."

Twitter: @Guymowbray 

WHAT THE MANAGERS SAY

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho: "The results are, especially in my case, in your eyes [the media], the results are everything.

"It's a bit strange because a few months ago when I won so many matches and I was champion of England, people were saying there were things more important than the results.

"In this moment the results are more important than anything. It's a contradiction."

LAWRO'S PREDICTION

This is an incredibly difficult game to call, because Jurgen Klopp is just starting to build and Jose Mourinho is threatening to self-destruct, but I am going to go for a draw.

Lawro's full predictions v England rugby league star Sam Tomkins

• Think you can do better than Lawro? Predict the score for this match and the rest of this round's Premier League fixtures in ourPredictor game.

MATCH FACTS

Head-to-head

• Chelsea are unbeaten in their last eight league and cup games against Liverpool (W4, D4).
• The Reds claimed three successive victories at Stamford Bridge in 2011 but are without a win there since then.

Chelsea

• They have won one of their last seven games in all competitions.
• The Blues have conceded 19 Premier League goals - only Norwich (21), Bournemouth and Newcastle (both 22) have worse records.
• Their tally of 11 points from 10 games represents their worst start to a Premier League season, and equals the poorest by the defending Premier League champions (matching Blackburn's tally in 1995-96).
• Cesc Fabregas has recorded one assist in 10 Premier League appearances this season - compared to nine in his opening 10 games last season.
• Jose Mourinho has suffered defeat in six of his last 12 Premier League matches, after losing just six of the previous 64.

Liverpool

• The Reds have drawn their last three Premier League games - the last time they recorded four consecutive draws was between December 2007 and January 2008.
• They have won one of their last 10 Premier League away games (D5, L4). That was their victory at Stoke on the opening weekend of the season.
• Christian Benteke has headed 14 Premier League goals since August 2012 - the joint-highest figure in the division (level with Olivier Giroud).