The new year is normally a time for newfangled beginnings and new resolutions, but ampere far as football ’ s concerned we ’ re still in the in-between of the like old season, and that means we ’ re still dealing with the lapp old concerns and issues. First and foremost of those is COVID-19 of course, though this game looks to be going ahead at the here and now .
We do have one new thing to acknowledge, and that ’ s the official introduction of safe stand in the Premier League, with Chelsea one of five clubs participating in the trial period. This game is the beginning to feature the actual use of the rail seats that were installed over the summer in The Shed and the Matthew Harding Lower .
With Manchester City winning again nowadays with even another deep goal and some favorable umpirage decisions, the title looks quite out of compass already. But moment place ( and by extension, the top four ) is very much on the wrinkle, and three points here would go a long way towards keeping our place in it secure — with league games against Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur to follow late this month .
Date / Time: Sunday, January 2, 2022, 16.30 GMT ; 11:30am EST ; 10pm IST
Venue: Stamford Bridge, SW6
Referee: Anthony Taylor ( LOL ) ; Paul Tierney ( VAR ) — address of like previous BS, we ’ ve won just 1 of the stopping point 7 and precisely 3 of the last 13 matches Taylor has refereed. taylor was besides in charge of the 1-1 at Anfield earlier this year, where he sent off Reece James for an alleged handball.
Forecast: Rain

On TV: Sky Sports Main Event ( UK ) ; USA, Telemundo ( USA ) ; Star Sports Select HD1 ( India ) ; SuperSport MaXimo 1, Canal+ Sport 3 ( NGA ) ; elsewhere — NBC ’ second coverage in the United States will now be largely on USA ( Network ) with NBCSN going dark on January 1. Streaming options remains unaltered, but expect more games on Peacock in the future.
Streaming: Sky Go ( UK ) ; NBC Sports Live, Telemundo Deportes En Vivo ( USA ) ; Hotstar ( India ) ; DStv now ( NGA )

Chelsea Training Session and Press Conference

Chelsea team news: Romelu Lukaku ’ randomness talking has been all the talk, but our extravagant son does have a goal in each of his last two appearances, since coming back from wound and then isolation. We besides have Kai Havertz and Timo Werner back in train now, though the latter particularly will take some time to get up to speed after a symptomatic bout with COVID-19 .
There ’ mho besides well news in Thiago Silva return, though the situation is far less fortunate at wing-back, where Ben Chilwell ’ s been ruled out for the season and Reece James for the next two months. christian Pulisic deputized at right wing-back wednesday .
Two more points dropped on Wednesday mean that Chelsea finished December with barely 12 points won from the 21 available. Four of our last five home games in the league have been 1-1 draw ( and the fifth a last-gasp acquire against Leeds United ).


Liverpool Training Session

Liverpool team news: The Reds have a game-in-hand after their Boxing Day meet was postponed due to COVID cases at Leeds United, but Liverpool themselves aren ’ t clear of infection either, with headway coach Jürgen Klopp and three of his staff not traveling. Three as-yet nameless players are besides isolating, with goalkeeper Alisson and striker Roberto Firmino rumored to be two of the three. If Alisson can ’ metric ton run low, it ’ ll be League Cup hero Caoimhín Kelleher in goal since Adrián is out .
meanwhile, Thiago Alcântara, Takumi Minamino, and Divock Origi are besides injured, and Andy Robertson is suspended. But Liverpool still have the likes of Mo Salah, Sadio Mané, Diogo Jota, Virgil avant-garde Dijk, Fabinho, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, and they will surely want to make up for their lackluster performance in the shock 1-0 defeat against short-handed Leicester City on Sunday. That game was their first gear get the better of in over a calendar month, and the first time they failed to score a finish in pretty much everlastingly .
Salah and Mané ( and Naby Këita ), just like Chelsea ’ s Édouard Mendy, will be off to the Africa Cup of Nations after this peer, making it an even more authoritative three points, for both teams.

Read more: FIFA 21 Pro Clubs

View from the enemy: The Liverpool Offside
Previously: Liverpool had won four in a course in the league against us before Tuchel ’ mho Chelsea went to Anfield in March last season to break that streak and win, 1-0. The aforesaid 1-1 in late August saw Kai Havertz score from a corner before Salah equalized from the spot before a heroic verse defensive feat from 10-man Chelsea kept it at a point each .