This will be our 95th visit to Anfield across all competitions – the most visited away ground in our history.

Depending on results at home and abroad, up to nine Premier League clubs will be competing in UEFA competitions next season – and nine domestic points are still up for grabs for the Blues and the Reds.

While even a draw might secure a Champions League place for the outgoing domestic champions, the ninth-placed world champions can still shoot as high as sixth or as low as 16th over the three-fixture checkout.

After consecutive home wins against the Reds, including a 2-1 at the Bridge in October, the FA Cup finalists are targeting our first league double over Liverpool since the famous Demba Ba game in April 2014.

The Blues have won eight of our past nine Premier League games in the 12.30pm Saturday time slot since October 2023, most recently drawing at Newcastle before Christmas.

Team news

Interim head coach Calum McFarlane confirmed Reece James and Levi Colwill – who made his long-awaited return as a second-half substitute against Forest – could both be in contention to start against Arne Slot’s side.

However, Jesse Derry and Robert Sanchez will miss out, while Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho are both doubts going into the game.

‘Levi has trained a full week with us, and so has Reece, so it’s really positive with those two,' said McFarlane on Thursday.

‘We’ve still got another session [before facing Liverpool], but both trained fully today and we’re hopeful [that they could start].

‘Pedro Neto and Garnacho are both carrying knocks and it’s unlikely that they will be available. While Rob and Jesse won’t be available after the injuries they sustained against Nottingham Forest.’

Chelsea vs Liverpool – the history

The Blues have won 12 times at Anfield in the league, most recently March 2021 thanks to Mason Mount’s brilliant early winner.

Our first ever visit on Christmas Day 1907 set a standard that has rarely been matched – a 4-1 win with ‘Gatling Gun’ George Hilsdon (two), Jimmy Windridge and George Henderson on the scoresheet.

That scoreline was matched in October 2005, at the dawn of the two clubs’ most intense stretch of match-ups.

Local hero Steven Gerrard cancelled out a lead claimed through Frank Lampard’s penalty, but Damien Duff regained the advantage before the break and Joe Cole then Geremi drove home the Blues’ supremacy.

Seventy years earlier, on 28 December 1935, Chelsea had beaten the Reds 3-2 with two in nine first-half minutes from Eric Oakton. Harry Burgess later capitalised on a goalkeeping error to head into an empty net for 3-2.

The Blues then had to wait 57 years for a repeat before the curse of the Manager of the Month award struck Graham Souness in February 1992. Former Wimbledon pair Dennis Wise and Vinnie Jones outscored Ronnie Rosenthal to finally end the hoodoo.

More recently Chelsea completed back-to-back wins at Anfield. We famously dented Liverpool’s title hopes in April 2014 with a 2-0 victory through Ba and Willian, then 2-1 in November the same year – Gary Cahill and Diego Costa (pictured above) scoring the goals.

Know this…

Chelsea have earned 25 Premier League points on the road – only Arsenal and Man City (32) and Tottenham (26) have won more.

The Blues have also netted 30 away goals – more than any club except Man City (31).

A third successive victory against the Reds would match our record against them between December 2013 and November 2014.

Joao Pedro has had a hand in seven of Chelsea’s past nine Premier League goals – scoring six and assisting one.

The Blues’ current quest for a clean sheet in the league is the club’s longest since August 1991.

Liverpool have conceded 17 Premier League goals from set-plays this season – their most ever in the competition.

Sixteen years ago, on May 9 2010, Chelsea sensationally thrashed Wigan by a record 8-0 to win the league title for the fourth time.