Chelsea target Champions League spot in high-stakes Liverpool clash | OneFootball

Chelsea vs Liverpool: Tension, Transition and Two Very Different Endgames

There is something quietly contradictory about Sunday’s clash between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge. For one side, it is a coronation tour cloaked in formality. For the other, it is an increasingly urgent pursuit of relevance, prestige and redemption. That both of these stories play out on the same pitch underlines the paradox of the Premier League — a shared spectacle of radically different stakes.

Liverpool, freshly crowned champions after their emphatic 5-1 dismantling of Tottenham, will walk into west London with a guard of honour and without pressure. The title has been sealed, the trophy already mentally hoisted, even if not yet physically. And while Arne Slot’s side still have matches to fulfil, it is hard to ignore the creeping sense of finality. This is a team that, for now, has done its work.

Photo: IMAGO

Chelsea’s Chase for Champions League Football

In stark contrast, Chelsea arrive at this fixture with breath held and fists clenched. Enzo Maresca’s side are level on points with Nottingham Forest in the race for fourth, but with fewer games remaining and pressure mounting. Champions League football is the target, the metric of success, and arguably the bare minimum for a club that has invested heavily and aimed high.

Three points against Liverpool would not just boost the table; it would recalibrate belief. Yet the ghosts of missed opportunities — and a poor home record against the Reds — loom large. Chelsea have not beaten Liverpool at Stamford Bridge since March 2020.

Team News and Tactical Implications

Maresca will hope for late returns from Christopher Nkunku and Robert Sanchez, neither of whom featured in Sweden midweek due to minor knocks. Their absence was described as precautionary, but a clearer update is expected before Sunday.

Photo IMAGO

Malo Gusto is also a doubt, while Fofana, Guiu, Kellyman, and Mudryk remain sidelined.

Photo: IMAGO

Liverpool, by contrast, come into this with relatively few fitness concerns. Conor Bradley could return, while Joe Gomez continues his recovery. It’s a luxury Slot may use to shuffle his options, possibly handing starts to fringe players as the fixture congestion eases post-title.

Photo IMAGO

Where to Watch Chelsea vs Liverpool

Kick-off: 4:30pm BST, Sunday 4 May 2025Venue: Stamford BridgeTV: Sky Sports Main Event & Sky Sports Premier LeagueLive Stream: Sky GoHighlights: Sky Sports app, YouTube & Match of the Day 2 (BBC One, 10:30pm)

Prediction: Blues to Edge Motivated but Relaxed Reds

If there’s one great leveller in football, it’s incentive. Liverpool arrive with nothing left to prove this season, their campaign neatly tied off. Chelsea, meanwhile, are playing for something closer to survival in elite terms — the right to be in the next conversation.

This is not just a game. It is the blurred overlap between finality and necessity. Chelsea, desperate for points, may find enough drive to edge a narrow win, assuming Liverpool’s foot is even slightly off the gas.

Prediction: Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool