Both clubs trod the boards in the Champions League on Tuesday night, with the Blues recording a hard-fought and deserved 1-0 win over a Benfica side coached by Blues legend Jose Mourinho.

Liverpool, meanwhile, lost by the same margin to Turkish league leaders Galatasaray in Istanbul. It was Arne Slot's side's second consecutive defeat, having also been beaten away to Crystal Palace in Premier League action last weekend.

Despite establishing themselves as regular Premier League title challenges in recent seasons, the Reds have not won in their last four visits to the Fulham Road – and they have lost each of their past three matches in the capital.

A second win in five days at the Bridge for Enzo Maresca’s side would inflict the league leaders’ third loss in a row on all fronts this term.

Chelsea, 3-1 victors when the same fixture was played in May, have not enjoyed back-to-back league wins over Liverpool since a home and away double in 2013/14 – the second at Anfield featuring Demba Ba’s memorable goal.

The Blues will hope to go into this year’s penultimate international fixtures break on a high, as was the case in September with the 2-0 victory over Fulham.

Chelsea team news

Enzo Maresca confirmed during his pre-match press conference that the Blues will be without 'seven or eight' players for Liverpool's visit.

'Cole (Palmer) is still out,' Maresca explained. 'Trevoh (Chalobah) is also suspended [after receiving a red card against Brighton], and we have seven or eight players out for tomorrow's game.

'I don't have any update at the moment [on Palmer]. We have a meeting this week to see how he is and we will then decide [whether he can return after the international break].

Maresca was able to welcome back Benoit Badiashile from injury in midweek and the French defender produced a composed performance in the heart of the Chelsea backline.

‘Since I joined the club, every time I have spoken about Benoit I’ve always said he’s an important player and a very good player,’ Maresca said.

‘Unfortunately, he’s been injured a few times since I joined the club, but before the last one he was almost playing every game at the Club World Cup. Then got injured against Benfica.

‘Now he is back and that’s good news for us, his team-mates and especially for him, because when you are out for a long period it’s always a shame.’

Chelsea vs Liverpool – the history

It was 120 years ago last month (Monday 4 September 1905) that Liverpool became the first visiting team ever to play at Stamford Bridge. After losing a Division One game at Arsenal in Plumstead, the Merseysiders stayed on in the capital at the Manchester Hotel, Aldersgate.

Chelsea, newly elected to Division Two, had arranged to open the season with away games and the Reds’ visit allowed crowd-testing of the brand new stadium.

Gussie Mears, son of ‘Father of the club’ Gus, performed the kick-off in front of 10,000 spectators. After a goalless opening 45 minutes, the hosts ran out easy 4-0 victors, each goal cheered enthusiastically by the embryonic Chelsea fanbase.

This weekend is the 199th competitive match between the pair, but the first took place on Christmas Day 1907 at Anfield. David Calderhead’s side, promoted to Division One in the summer, dominated from start to finish, winning 4-1.

Between 1932 and 1951, we were unbeaten at home to Liverpool, recording 11 wins and two draws.

For decades, the 6-1 victory over Liverpool in August 1937 remained Chelsea’s best opening day in the top flight, George Mills netting a hat-trick against Matt Busby and Co. that was watched by 41,553.

Between 1978 and 1984, troubled times for the Blues, the all-conquering Reds were still beaten four times in five visits across all competitions, including two memorable FA Cup triumphs.

In the mid-to-late 2000s, the two teams met regularly in domestic and European knockout competitions, with honours mostly even. Chelsea’s league dominance reasserted in the 2010s, but the Merseysiders have had the edge since 2019.

Last season at the Bridge, Chelsea won for the first time in ten meetings between the north-south rivals.

Enzo Fernandez’s opener was our earliest in the league for eight years, and the second came when Virgil van Dijk’s attempted clearance rebounded into the goal off Jarell Quansah.

The Reds’ skipper pulled one back with five minutes remaining but the outcome was settled when Quansah felled Moises Caicedo in the 18-yard box and Cole Palmer converted for 3-1.

Know this…

Saturday’s adversaries have the two highest ball-possession rates in the Premier League: Chelsea with 61 per cent, Liverpool 65.

The Blues’ 87 per cent passing accuracy is the highest in the Premier League.

Only four Premier League teams have completed more long passes than Liverpool.

Alexander Isak scored in and lost both his last two league visits to Stamford Bridge with Newcastle.

In Tuesday’s win against Benfica, we recorded our first clean sheet since Fulham at the end of August.

It was also the first time the Blues won a game despite having a player sent off since the 2-1 at Brighton in May 2024.

Four of the five defeats the Blues have suffered since April 2025 across all competitions have come when the team was reduced to ten men.

The next Champions League visitors to the Bridge, Ajax, lost 4-0 at Marseille on matchday two.

On 4 October 2009, second-half goals from Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda sealed a 2-0 victory over Liverpool for Carlo Ancelotti’s future champions at the Bridge.