Andy Myers's side host Liverpool in Premier League 2 tonight and start the game five points off Manchester City in top place with a game in hand. Here, we preview the Friday night action...

Kick-off time and how to watch

We get underway at Kingsmeadow tonight at 7pm. Coverage on the 5th Stand app and this website will begin shortly before the first whistle, with a report and reaction to follow after full-time.

The opposition

Liverpool have lost four of their last five Premier League 2 games and their most recent result was a 6-3 defeat against Manchester United at the end of January.

The last meeting between Chelsea and Liverpool was back in October and three first-half goals condemned the Blues to defeat as Bryan Fiabema’s late penalty kick proved only a consolation.

Our form

Last time out, Chelsea couldn’t capitalise on George McEachran’s first-half free-kick to put Monday night’s game to bed, Fiabema spurning a chance from the spot but being denied by the crossbar. Towards the latter stages of the game, Derby grew in confidence and netted twice to seal the points at Loughborough University Stadium.

Last five results:

Chelsea 2-1 LeicesterChelsea 3-2 TottenhamChelsea 6-1 Man UnitedArsenal 2-2 ChelseaDerby 2-1 Chelsea

From the dressing room

The journey from San Jose to south-west London is a long one, especially for a teenager who is leaving his family home to live in digs with a host family, but it was one goalkeeper Ethan Wady took in his stride to develop in a sport which is far more popular in England than it is in his home town.

Although he is now happy to be back at Cobham full-time, Wady is grateful to have earned more experience in senior football this season after spending the first half of 2020/21 on loan with National League South side Dartford.

‘It’s always a great feeling to be able to represent the Blues,' he told the official Chelsea website in the build-up to tonight's game. 'Wearing the badge and playing for the pride of the club is a feeling that I’m lucky to experience.

‘It has been a little bit disrupted but it’s been a very positive season for myself so far. I got to go out and play with a men’s team again and get a lot more playing experience. That was an opportunity I was really grateful for.

‘I feel when I was at Dartford I learned a lot from the boys I was playing with. Trying to get playing time during a time like this is hard but I can’t complain about the opportunities I got to play.’

Wady kept goal for the development squad for the first time during the draw against Arsenal and was on the bench last time out against Derby. Despite having been away from Cobham, he says it was easy to keep tabs on how things were going for the team. I was still training at Chelsea quite regularly while out on loan so keeping updated was easy,' he added. 'I always listened in on how things were going in the dressing room.

'Tonight is a massive opportunity to get back to winning ways. Liverpool are always strong and they showed that against the team last year so it’s definitely one we will have to fight for.

‘You can never doubt the motivation of the guys on the training ground. Every day we're in, we are focused on the match ahead and doing the best for the team. Losses hurt but it’s something we have to learn from, move on from and use it to our advantage to turn things back into our favour this weekend.’

Under-18s

Ed Brand’s boys take on Reading in Under-18 Premier League action on Saturday morning. Alex Kpakpe, who assisted our second goal the last time we faced the Royals, this week signed his first professional contract with Chelsea and has returned to full training after being sidelined in recent weeks.