In the much-hyped confrontation between Chelsea and Liverpool, the big winner was Manchester City. The Premier League leader and reigning champion saw its lead stay at double digits after the two teams behind it battled to a 2-2 draw at Stamford Bridge in an electric meet .
A contribute factor in the excitation was the fact that both Chelsea and Liverpool were looking for a winnings in the hope they could reduce the deficit behind Man City to single digits. As it stands, Chelsea ( 2nd, 43 points ) is 10 points back and Liverpool ( 3rd, 42 points ) is 11 points aside though the Reds have a bet on in hired hand.

Liverpool looked to be cruising early with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah staking it out to a 2-0 run after just 16 minutes, exposing the Chelsea defense on both goals. But the home team mounted an improbable rejoinder with a spectacular Mateo Kovacic volley proving the trip. A christian Pulisic rap in transition completed the rejoinder just before the halftime whistle. MORE: Why Lukaku was axed from the Chelsea squad
The two teams had enough energy to for a handful of acute attacks to start the second half, but the two goalkeepers were astir to the challenge. Chelsea ‘keeper Edouard Mendy was specially busy, denying both Sane and Salah on good opportunities. then the teams finally ran out of gasoline and the crippled fizzled out. Chelsea could have used the help of $ 135 million star ahead Romelu Lukaku, but he was dropped from the squad after his comments to italian mercantile establishment Sky Sports Italia which were critical of director Thomas Tuchel. The german coach said he axed Lukaku because there was besides much noise created by the unauthorized interview. Another discussion between the two is scheduled for Monday. Tuchel ‘s couterpart, Jurgen Klopp was not on the sideline for Liverpool due to a positive COVID-19 test, which is besides the reason starters Alisson, Joel Matip and Roberto Firmino were not available. Liverpool will besides lose Mane, Salah and Naby Keita for the rest of the month of January at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Chelsea will give up Mendy to the same competition. The fastness schedule does n’t care : Both Chelsea and Liverpool will be involved in Carabao Cup ( League Cup ) semifinal natural process in midweek against Tottenham and Arsenal, respectively. After an FA Cup weekend, Chelsea ‘s next league match will be away to leader Man City on Jan. 15, while Liverpool is at home to Brentford on Jan. 16 .

Chelsea vs. Liverpool final score

  1H 2H Final
Chelsea 2 0 2
Liverpool 2 0 2

Goals:
LIV — Sadio Mane — 9th min.
LIV — Mohamed Salah ( Trent Alexander-Arnold ) — 16th min.
CHE — Mateo Kovacic — 42nd min.
CHE — Christian Pulisic ( N’Golo Kante ) — 46th+ min. ( All times Eastern )

Final: Chelsea 2, Liverpool 2

90th min.: Four minutes of stop time, but not much happen. Both teams are making sure they ‘re not conceding anything. interim, Curtis Jones comes into the equal for Sadio Mane. 79th min.: SUB — Callum Hudson-Odoi on for Kai Havertz who was in his first bet on second after a bust with COVID-19. The game could use a flicker from person like the quick Hudson-Odoi, who will deploy his fresh legs at forward. 72nd min.: From his new right wingback position, Pulisic converges and fires a left-footed shoot that equitable misses the clear left corner of the goal. The Blues need to keep him involved in the attack. 69th min.: SUBS — Naby Keita on for James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is in for Diogo Jota. Chelsea besides makes a change with Jorginho coming on for Trevoh Chalobah, which forces Azpilicueta to move to right center back and Pulisic to fill in at right wingback. 62nd min.: Kelleher matching Mendy spare for deliver in this second half. A Pulisic half-volley is right at the Liverpool ‘keeper, and he pulled off the reflex discontinue. 58th min.: Another salvage by Mendy ! What a move by Liverpool, and it ‘s Mane who gets it in the box and rips a shot at goal, but Mendy parries. Liverpool continues to be the most dangerous between the two teams. 57th min.: What a keep open by Edouard Mendy on Mo Salah ! The Egypt international went for the lob from distance, but Mendy was ready to parry it away for a corner. Great shoot, capital write .

52nd min.: Liverpool is truly riding that Chelsea offside line. Diogo Jota blasts a fusillade that ‘s saved, but he ‘s always sol slightly in an offside position and the flag comes up. 51st min.: What a through ball from N’Golo Kante to Marcos Alonso, who puts it on his unaccented right foot and fires eminent. good move by Chelsea, but bet is evenly matched once again between the two sides. 46th min.: Second half is afoot and Sadio Mane immediately gets in behind and Kelleher makes the kick deliver, but the flag goes up. That ‘s the sort of danger Liverpool can create at any moment .

Halftime: Chelsea 2, Liverpool 2

Halftime: What a half of football. Liverpool was deadly in transition simply because it had the better quality in attack with Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, who knew precisely what to do in the penalty area. Chelsea did n’t have that same choice in front of finish and alternatively needed to break through on a worldie from Mateo Kovacic which came out of nowhere. The Blues then fed off that momentum to find an equalizer before the violate on four touches, with Pulisic getting off the schneid after missing an earlier casual. Chelsea will need to keep feeding off the energy from its incredible comeback, otherwise Liverpool can strike at any time. 48th min.: Mount about gives Chelsea the lead ! He shoots the ball into the reason toward the entrust post and it precisely misses wide. 46th min.: Pulisic ties it ! N’Golo Kante pushes the ball into space on a quick transition and the american takes it in pace and lofts a left-footed shot past Kelleher. He needed that goal in the worst room .

42nd min.: What a goal from Mateo Kovacic ! Chelsea pulls one back on the heels of a determine slice thanks to a frightful volley from Kovacic. He was at the top of the box and flicked it into the top corner. He was positioned there to clean up any rebounds and he got one. 32nd min.: There ‘s a long VAR front at a collide between Mason Mount and Tsimikas on the grind. Mount yanks his stage away from the entangle, but there ‘s nothing to it. Moments former Diogo Jota sends a ball across the front of the goalmouth, but there are no teammates there to take advantage. interim, Chelsea has no punch to its attack. You can say the Blues miss Romelu Lukaku. 26th min.: Goal Salah ! He first gear beats Marcos Alonso on the right side of the corner with a bumble step and then from a compressed slant he shoots past Edouard Mendy at the approximate post. Liverpool ‘s attackers are simply better quality so army for the liberation of rwanda. That ‘s his league-leading 16th of the season. 25th min.: Couple of corners for Liverpool, but nothing comes of them. still, the Reds look comfortable in this game. 20th min.: Marcos Alonso infuriates his Chelsea teammates and his coach with a volley from a tight fish when he should ‘ve tried to center the ball. You can sense the tension and nerves in the Chelsea ranks right now.

17th min.: CAUTION — Pulisic gets a chicken for a heedless sliding fetid on Diogo Jota. Good call by the referee. 9th min.: Goal Liverpool ! Defender Trevoh Chalobah misjudges the ball and attempts a low header, but he fails to clear. Sadio Mane picks it up, rounds Mendy and scores. Mane, who is lucky to be on the field, did what Pulisic failed to do earlier. That ended a stripe of nine appearances without a finish for Mane. 7th min.: What a gamble for Chelsea ! Trent Alexander-Arnold is stripped of the ball in his own box and Pulisic is all alone against Kelleher, but he ca n’t get by him. What a diaphragm by the back-up ‘keeper who pokes it aside .

6th min.: Chelsea ‘keeper Mendy with the first save of the match against Mo Salah. It ‘s throughout indeed far. Lots of energy from both sides. 1st min.: After merely 30 seconds, Sadio Mane could ‘ve seen crimson ! He led with his forearm/elbow and sized up Cesar Azpilicueta. But the referee lets him off with a chicken. Thomas Tuchel is irate .

11:07 a.m.: What Liverpool adjunct Pep Lijnders had to say as he takes over from coach Jurgen Klopp for the sidereal day :

11:05 a.m.: here ‘s how Thomas Tuchel explained his decision to drop Lukaku in his interview before the peer :

9:33 a.m.: The equal will be luminary for what happens on the field, but it will besides carry significance for what ‘s taking seat in the stands .

Chelsea vs. Liverpool lineups

The Lukaku absence will hit Chelsea hard since the team has already struggling with meaning injury problems. The Blues lost another two important players during the last match against Brighton, as Reece James and Andreas Christensen are nowadays shelved. They join Ben Chilwell and Ruben Loftus-Cheek on the sidelines. Thiago Silva makes it back from hamstring trouble. Edouard Mendy is in his concluding match for Chelsea before departing for the Africa Cup of Nations, but Hakim Ziyech is available throughout the adjacent calendar month, as he was left off Morocco ‘s team. Kai Havertz is rear from his bust with COVID-19, meaning Timo Werner is likely not far behind, though he does n’t make the police squad vs. Liverpool. Chelsea starting lineup (3-4-3, left to right): 16-Edouard Mendy ( GK ) — 14-Trevoh Chalobah, 6-Thiago Silva, 2-Antonio Rudiger — 3-Marcos Alonso, 8-Mateo Kovacic, 7-N’Golo Kante, 28-Cesar Azpilicueta ( capt. ) — 10-Christian Pulisic, 29-Kai Havertz, 19-Mason Mount. Chelsea substitutes (9): 1-Kepa Arrizabalaga ( GK ), 31-Malang Sarr, 75-Lewis Hall, 5-Jorginho, 17-Saul Niguez, 18-Ross Barkley, 20-Callum Hudson-Odoi, 68-Harvey Vale, 22-Hakim Ziyech Klopp previously indicated there were three players that would miss the game due to COVID-19 and the golf club has last named them : Alisson, Roberto Firmino and Joel Matip. Thiago is again struggling with a groin problem. Left back Andy Robertson is however out, the final of his three-match bachelor of arts in nursing for picking up a heterosexual crimson. Takumi Minamino is questionable due to muscle tenderness, having missed out against Leicester City. Divock Origi is sidelined with a stifle problem. Liverpool starting lineup (4-3-3, left to right): 62-Kaoihmin Kelleher ( GK ) — 21-Konstantinos Tsimikas, 5-Ibrahima Konate, 4-Virgil Van Dijk, 66-Trent Alexander-Arnold — 7-James Milner, 3-Fabinho, 14-Jordan Henderson ( capt. ) — 10-Sadio Mane, 20-Diogo Jota, 11-Mohamed Salah. Liverpool substitutes (9): 97-Marcelo ( GK ), 13-Adrian ( GK ), 12-Joe Gomez, 76-Neco Williams, 8-Naby Keita, 17-Curtis Jones, 63-Owen Beck, 15-Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, 80-Tyler Morton MORE: Who replaces Klopp on the sidelines against Chelsea

How to watch Chelsea vs. Liverpool

  • Date: Sunday, Jan. 2
  • Time: 11:30 a.m. ET
  • TV channel: USA Network
  • Spanish-language TV: Telemundo
  • Streaming: fuboTV, NBCSports.com (authenticated users)

The Sunday match between Chelsea and Liverpool from Stamford Bridge will be broadcast on USA Network ( English ) and Telemundo ( spanish ) in the USA. MORE: What happened to NBCSN? Premier League has a new TV home Both channels can be streamed on fuboTV and newfangled users can take advantage of a exempt 7-day trial .

Chelsea vs. Liverpool betting tip, pick & prediction

Odds courtesy of DraftKings The news program that Lukaku has been dropped from the team and that Klopp will not be on the bench for Liverpool has not moved the lines all that much. It ‘s still identical much a tossup.

The Draw No Bet is at -110 for both sides ( a draw is a push button ). That presents an opportunity for a circular on Liverpool if you believe the Lukaku-Tuchel controversy surrounding Chelsea will continue to drag down a Blues team that has played ailing of late and is however struggling for fitness and class. Mo Salah and Sadio Mane will besides be batch motivated to leave their fans with a memorable show. Pick: Liverpool draw no bet ( -110 ) Prediction: Chelsea 0, Liverpool 2

  • Moneyline: Chelsea +160 / Draw +245 / Liverpool +165
  • Spread (Asian Handicap): Chelsea pick’em (-110) / Liverpool pick’em (-105)
  • O/U 2.5 total goals: Over -125 / Under +105
  • Both teams to score: Yes -165 / No +125