Football betting tips: Chelsea vs Liverpool
2pts Liverpool to win in 90 minutes at 6/5 (Betfred)
1pt Liverpool to win & BTTS at 14/5 (Hills)
Kick-off time: 15:00 GMT, Sunday
TV channel: Sky Sports Main Event
Home 23/10 | Draw 13/5 | Away 11/10
Since Jurgen Klopp announced his decision to step down as Liverpool manager at the end of the season, it has felt as though every match has taken on further significance, such is the collective will of those in the red half of Merseyside to send him on his way with a major trophy.
It really is debatable whether the Carabao Cup falls into that category as it is undoubtedly second rate in its prestige.
That being said, expect Liverpool to be desperate to begin Klopp’s final run-in with a Wembley triumph, something very difficult to make a case against.
What are the best bets?
The Reds were already in superb form when the German’s departure was announced, but since then the only blip has been defeat away at a revitalised Arsenal.
They have won the other five matches, scoring 20 goals in the process. One of those victories saw them wipe the floor with Sunday’s opponents.
It’s rare that a 4-1 scoreline flatters the side on the receiving end, but Chelsea allowed 28 shots and managed only four themselves in as one-sided a contest as you are likely to see this season.
Granted, it was at Anfield, but LIVERPOOL went off at 1/2 on that cold January night. To see them available at 6/5 TO WIN IN 90 MINUTES is frankly astonishing, even with their mounting injury list.
It feels as though Chelsea have been given far too much credit for clinging on to draw at Manchester City last weekend, a match in which they allowed 31 attempts on goal and benefited from an unusually wasteful Erling Haaland.
Mauricio Pochettino’s side are light years behind Liverpool, with the 25 points which separates them in the Premier League table a stark, fair reflection.
Ultimately, any hope they have on Sunday is likely to hinge on Cole Palmer, whose breakout season has been the one bright spot in an otherwise underwhelming 18 months for the club.
But the England midfielder has recently been snuffed out by top quality opposition, failing to register a shot against Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United or Newcastle.
Leaky Liverpool
What Liverpool haven’t been so good at of late is keeping clean sheets, with just one recorded in their past nine fixtures.
Chelsea, meanwhile, despite the widespread coverage of their inability to find the net have managed to score in 24 of their past 27 matches, which makes BOTH TEAMS TO SCORE worthy of interest.
As a single it is too short, but combined with a LIVERPOOL WIN the 14/5 on offer is superior to a manually priced double, and therefore should be backed.
BuildABet @ 15/1
- Liverpool to win in 90 minutes
- Both teams to score
- Alexis Mac Allister 4+ tackles
- Harvey Elliott 2+ shots
CLICK HERE to back with Sky Bet
When these sides met a month ago, ALEXIS MAC ALLISTER's tenacity was incredible as he registered eight tackles and committed two fouls, a performance he quickly backed up by making five challenges in the win at Brentford 10 days later.
HARVEY ELLIOTT has taken full advantage of Liverpool's injury crisis to nail down a place in either midfield or the front three, registering a shot every 25 minutes this season. It was no surprise to see him have five attempts in the midweek win over Luton - his first 90 minutes of the entire campaign.
Team news
Chelsea veteran Thiago Silva is unlikely to recover from a groin injury in time, meaning he is likely to join fellow defenders Benoit Badiashile, Wesley Fofana, Reece James and Marc Cucurella on the sidelines.
Carney Chukwuemeka, Romeo Lavia and Lesley Ugochukwu remain out too.
Diogo Jota was the latest player to join Liverpool's lengthy injury list in midweek when he was ruled out for several months.
Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah are expected to be back after missing the win over Luton, with Dominik Szoboszlai less likely to be fit in time.
Alisson, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones are among the other headline absentees.
Predicted line-ups
Chelsea: Petrovic; Gusto, Disasi, Colwill, Chilwell; Fernandez, Gallagher, Caicedo; Palmer, Jackson, Sterling.
Liverpool: Kelleher; Bradley, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Mac Allister, Endo, Gravenberch; Salah, Nunez, Diaz.
Odds correct at 1430 GMT (21/02/24)
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