Premier League Liverpool vs Chelsea: Need for points should produce goals at Anfield

Last season, both league games between the two teams ended as a draw, 1-1 at Anfield and 2-2 at Stamford Bridge, while their two encounters in the finals of the EFL Cup and the FA Cup were both decided on penalties in Liverpool's favour after goalless draws.

The hosts come into this game after a midweek FA Cup replay success, when they beat Wolves 1-0 away, and that was notably the Reds' first clean sheet in their last eight games.

In fact Liverpool conceded no less than six goals in their last two Premier League games, 0-3 at Brighton and 1-3 at Brentford, both opponents that Jurgen Klopp would have expected his team to have beaten as convincingly as they in fact lost.

To be fair, Klopp is having to cope with a long injury list right now, but even taking that into account Liverpool have performed well below expectations so far.

Only eight wins in their first 18 Premier League games is way below Liverpool's anticipated standard, while their meagre tally of 28 points leaves them in ninth spot in the league table, a worrying 10 points adrift of the top four Champions League qualifying places, and fully 19 points behind league leaders Arsenal.

On the other side, Graham Potter enjoyed a promising start when he replaced Thomas Tuchel, but that early form has long since evaporated, and they have only managed to win two of their last 10 games.

Last weekend, the sigh of relief around Stamford Bridge was almost audible when Chelsea managed to grind out a much-needed 1-0 home victory against Crystal Palace, but even those three points only brings them level with Liverpool, 10th in the league with 28 points, and it seems very unlikely that both (if either) of these giants will be able to recover enough to challenge the top four.

The visitors have been very active in the winter transfer window so far, signing Benoît Badiashile from Monaco and Joao Felix, who is suspended after his debut red card against Fulham, leaving Ukrainian international Mykhailo Mudryk the next in line to make his debut at Anfield.

Only Manchester City (31 goals) have managed to score more than Liverpool's tally of 23 at home this season, while the Londoners are without a win in their last five away league games (Drawn 2, Lost 3).

Both teams are performing below expectations this season and desperately need the points, so we can expect them to attack in a bid to score goals, as a draw will be of little value to either club.