De Zerbi has ‘already forgotten’ Moises Caicedo as Chelsea and Liverpool fight for midfielder
Chelsea and Liverpool had disppointing seasons last year which resulted in plentiful changes at both clubs. Former Chelsea bosses, Graham Potter and Frank Lampard, have been replaced with Mauricio Pochettino who hopes to ignite a new successful era at the club.
Pochettino has plenty of options to choose from but his focus on passing, speed and improvement of young players offers Chelsea the opportunity to rebuild themselves as a big threat in the top flight. Nowhere is this more on display than 23-year-old Reece James being made captain of the club following the departure of Cesar Azpilicueta.
Liverpool, meanwhile, have overhauled their ageing midfield with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both shipped off to Saudi Arabia. Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have been brought in to replace them but questions remain over the Reds’ defensive capabilities.
Added to all this is the subplot of Moises Caicedo. Liverpool have had a bid of £110m accepted by Brighton for the midfielder but Caicedo prefers to join Chelsea with the Blues thinking about tabling an improved offer for the 21-year-old. The battle for Caicedo’s signature could play out on the pitch as the two clubs clash this afternoon.
Follow all the action from Stamford Bridge as Chelsea host Liverpool:
Chelsea vs Liverpool
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How to watch Chelsea vs Liverpool
Chelsea vs Liverpool is due to kick-off at 4.30pm on Sunday 13 August at Stamford Bridge in London.
Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage on the channels from 4pm. Subscribers can stream the game via the Sky Go app.
Mike Jones13 August 2023 15:05
Chelsea vs Liverpool early team news
Chelsea have confirmed that Christopher Nkunku will be out for “an extended period” after undergoing knee surgery. Mauricio Pochettino continues to chase midfield reinforcements, but centre-half Axel Disasi has been secured to provide the manager with another defensive option. Reece James has been appointed as captain.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are also said to still be in the mix for another high-price midfield recruit despite adding Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, who could make competitive Liverpool debuts at Stamford Bridge. Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic continue to work their way back from injury lay-offs and may be absent.
Mike Jones13 August 2023 15:00
Chelsea vs Liverpool
Good afternoon and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the Premier League. Sunday’s action concludes with an interesting encounter between Chelsea and Liverpool that is set to be filled with intrigue, drama and subplots.
Mauricio Pochettino takes charge of the Blues for his first league game since joining as head coach at the start of the summer. He’s got a fresh, youthful squad that will be keen to push the Blues to new heights and banish the memories of their horrendous campaign last season.
Liverpool are similarly revitalised with a new captain in Virgil van Dijk and a couple of midfield maestros, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, joining the ranks. Jurgen Klopp has called this squad ‘Liverpool FC reloaded’ and he’ll want to kick off this new era with a winning start.
The match gets underway at 4.30pm and we’ll have all the build-up, team news and updates beforehand so stick around.
Mike Jones13 August 2023 13:55