Gary Neville predicts winner of Liverpool vs Chelsea at Anfield

Gary Neville has backed Liverpool to beat Chelsea at home this weekend.
Gary Neville has backed Liverpool to beat Chelsea at home this weekend.

Manchester United legend Gary Neville has predicted that Premier League leaders Liverpool will triumph over Chelsea in their contest at Anfield this Sunday (October 20).

The Reds, who have lost just once in 10 total matches so far this season, are atop the 2024-25 Premier League table with 18 points from seven matches. The Blues, on the other hand, are fourth with 14 points.

During a chat on The Overlap, Neville was asked to predict the result of Liverpool's upcoming league encounter against Chelsea. He replied (h/t The Boot Room):

"I think Liverpool will beat them, I think Chelsea are a bit younger. 3-2, 3-1? We'll go with 3-1. I think it will be a big atmosphere that day."

Arne Slot's outfit will miss Alisson Becker and Harvey Elliott this Sunday with Alexis Mac Allister, Federico Chiesa, Wataru Endo, and Kostas Tsimikas all doubtful. The Blues will be without Marc Cucurella and Wesley Fofana due to suspensions, while Reece James could return.

The Reds, who defeated the west London outfit 4-1 at Anfield last campaign, boast an excellent head-to-head record against Chelsea. They have registered five wins, six draws, and just one defeat in their last 12 Premier League matches against the Enzo Maresca-coached side.

Liverpool boss Arne Slot opines on Alisson Becker's latest injury ahead of Chelsea tie

At a pre-match press conference, Liverpool head coach Arne Slot provided his two cents on Alisson Becker's hamstring injury. He elaborated (h/t Liverpool Echo):

"It's uncommon for goalkeepers. At Feyenoord, I had the same with my goalkeeper... getting muscles injuries. We are looking into it and what the reasons are. If you get one, the chances of another go up, so we have tried to be careful."

Slot, who is a former Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar manager, added:

"But, it's a good chance to explain again... there were some things about me not disliking 12:30 kick-offs but if you play Wednesday evening, it might be a disadvantage to play 12:30 PM after a UEFA Champions League game... the chances for injury go up. We need to take this into consideration. In Holland, I am 99.9% sure the Champions League teams get extra rest. That is not common here."

So far this season, Alisson has made eight appearances. The 32-year-old Brazilian has registered five clean sheets for the Merseyside outfit.

As things stand, Caoimhin Kelleher will start against Chelsea. The Irish goalkeeper has kept one shutout in two total matches this campaign.

Quick Links

Edited by Debkalpa Banerjee