Chelsea vs Liverpool clashes have always been fiery encounters and the latest edition of this Premier League classic promises to be a humdinger too.
The stakes are high as the Blues host the Reds at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, and both sides have revealed their lineups.
Team to face Liverpool: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill (c), Rudiger; Moses, Kante, Bakayoko, Fabregas, Alonso; Hazard, Giroud.
Subs: Caballero, Christensen, Zappacosta, Emerson, Barkley, Pedro, Willian #CHELIV pic.twitter.com/VWuon4wkAk
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) May 6, 2018
The Blues are going all out, understandably so, with Antonio Conte starting Cesar Azpilicueta, Antonio Rudiger and Gary Cahill in their three-man defence ahead of custodian Thibaut Courtois.
Victor Moses and Marcos Alonso are the preferred wingbacks in their 3-4-3 system, with N’Golo Kante, Tiemoue Bakayoko featuring in the central midfield pivot.
Up front, Cesc Fabregas operates just behind Eden Hazard and Olivier Giroud.
📋 Here’s how your Reds line up for this afternoon’s game! 🔴#CHELIV 👉 https://t.co/C7ZstaM2Rh pic.twitter.com/hoN8JzoYxn
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) May 6, 2018
The Reds are trotting out in their standard 4-3-3, with Loris Karius starting behind a back-four of Nathaniel Clyne, Virgil van Dijk, Dejan Lovren and Andy Robertson.
Georginio Wijnaldum, James Milner feature in midfield with defender Trent Alexander-Arnold deputising in the engine room.
Up front, the visitors’s big guns aka Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firimino all start.
After Tottenham Hotspurs’ shock defeat at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, the race for the top-four is very much on and Antonio Conte’s men trail Jurgen Klopp’s side by only six points.
The Reds have played a game extra and while due to their superior goal difference they look to have secured Champions League status, Chelsea can now overhaul fourth-placed Spurs if they win all their remaining games starting with the Merseysiders.
Chelsea: Courtois; Azpilicueta, Cahill (C), Rudiger, Moses, Kante, Bakayoko, Fabregas, Alonso, Hazard, Giroud.
Liverpool: Karius, Clyne, van Dijk, Lovren, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold, Wijnaldum, Milner (C), Mane, Salah and Firmino.
Match kicks off at 1630 GMT/2100 IST.