Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai receives PFA Player of the Year backing before Chelsea Premier League fixture

Ahead of Saturday's aboriginal Premier League kickoff betwixt Liverpool and Chelsea, Sports Mole's experts present their instrumentality connected the crunch clash.

Ben Knapton, Site Coordinator - 'Dominik Szoboszlai for Player of the Year?'

Liverpool shouldn't beryllium settling for a gully successful this crippled against the worst Premier League signifier squad crossed the past six games. Even Burnley person picked up a constituent successful that time.

The archetypal 14 minutes astatine Old Trafford, perfectly appalling. But determination were immoderate improvements successful the 2nd half. I deliberation it's just to accidental they were surely talented the 2nd goal, possibly talented the archetypal somewhat arsenic well.

But it was a superb solo tally from Dominik Szoboszlai, who could softly beryllium making a lawsuit for a PFA Player of the Year nomination. You deliberation wherever Liverpool would beryllium without Dominik Szoboszlai? Certainly obscurity adjacent the Champions League spots.

He's got treble figures successful goals and assists this season, archetypal Liverpool midfielder to bash that since Steven Gerrard successful 2013-14. There are immoderate much concerns for Liverpool successful this one; Isak picking up that wounded earlier United was a hammer stroke with Ekitike and Salah already out.

Looks similar Alisson volition miss this 1 arsenic well, determination was nary Florian Wirtz successful grooming connected Wednesday, nary Konate successful grooming connected Wednesday, truthful Liverpool could beryllium missing 10 players for this game.

The injuries are piling up astatine the worst clip for them. But they conscionable request to get implicit the enactment against this incredibly mediocre Chelsea side. And nary substance what hotchpotch onslaught they enactment out, I'm assured they volition bash that.

Matt Law, Football Editor - Arne Slot to enactment astatine Liverpool?

I deliberation it's a truly absorbing debate, the Slot aboriginal thing. I don't deliberation helium volition leave, but it would not daze maine astatine each if they reached a constituent wherever they conscionable thought, 'We're going to spell elsewhere.'

But erstwhile I saw Liverpool's squad astatine Old Trafford, I conscionable thought Manchester United person got to triumph this game. I admit that Liverpool person got a batch of injuries.

But Szoboszlai, if determination is simply a subordinate I'd instrumentality from Liverpool, he'd beryllium the one. At a clip that mightiness person been Van Dijk, that mightiness person been Salah, there's ever a statement astir who you would instrumentality from Liverpool. He's the subordinate present that I would instrumentality successful a heartbeat.

I deliberation he's an unbelievable subordinate and he's the lone 1 that I truly feared successful that crippled from the Liverpool constituent of view. Wirtz hasn't been great, has he? He's been alright this season, and United, if they'd person thrown that away, that'd person been a large 1 for me.

Oliver Thomas, Senior Reporter - 'An implicit messiness astatine Chelsea'

It's an implicit messiness astatine the infinitesimal implicit there, I deliberation that's the champion mode to picture it, both connected and disconnected the transportation really.

Calum McFarlane hasn't truly got overmuch to lose, but he'll beryllium keen to marque his people successful the archetypal squad and effort and unafraid immoderate signifier of European shot for adjacent season.

We've spoken earlier a small spot astir the messiness that Chelsea find themselves successful arsenic a club, whether the task nether the existent owners is the close 1 oregon not, whether that volition beryllium assessed successful the summer.

For present the absorption indispensable solely beryllium connected securing European shot due to the fact that I deliberation the ramifications of missing retired connected the apical 7 would beryllium beauteous immense for a nine similar Chelsea.

They've posted pre-tax losses of implicit £250m, been fined by UEFA for fiscal mismanagement, they would suffer retired connected TV revenue, truthful missing retired connected European shot would beryllium immense and besides they would perchance miss retired connected respective apical transportation targets.

They could past articulation rival clubs portion existent archetypal squad stars mightiness privation to permission if they don't suffice for Europe. So it's a truly important infinitesimal present for Chelsea to extremity this torrid six-game winless run.

How they bash that, I'm not sure. Everywhere crossed the transportation truly needs to improve. They request to commencement scoring goals.

That Joao Pedro extremity against Forest successful that decision was their lone extremity successful these six defeats. And to decorativeness the play present with Liverpool, Spurs and Sunderland, truthful not an casual tally of fixtures connected paper. They've besides got that FA Cup last distraction successful betwixt that arsenic well.

Now's the clip for Chelsea to execute and measurement up and present erstwhile it matters most, starting with this large crippled against Liverpool, who they've really beaten successful the past 2 Premier League games. But a immense crippled for Chelsea now, arsenic is each crippled for the remainder of the season.