Charlie Nicholas has predicted that Liverpool will lose their perfect record in the Premier League when they travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea on Sunday.
The Sky Sports pundit has backed the Blues’ trio of Pedro, Willian, and Tammy Abraham to cause the Reds’ defence major problems in the game by finding that killer pass.
Nicholas did mention how Frank Lampard’s open and attacking style of play will leave his Chelsea side vulnerable to the counter-attack, suggesting it is something the Reds could take of advantage of.
His final prediction was for a 2-2 draw, a result that would see Jurgen Klopp’s men remain unbeaten but lose their 14-game consecutive win streak in the Premier League.
“I think Frank Lampard wants to attack, which opens up the counter-attack scenario for Liverpool,” he wrote on Sky Sports.
“Pedro and Willian behind Tammy Abraham is a trio of danger. They need to find the killer pass in this game, which I think they will.”
“Liverpool will pin them in when they can, but it will be an open game of football, which will see Liverpool drop their 100 per cent record.”
OPINION
The way that both sides have started the season, one thing that is certain is that they will both look to push forward and attack at all times. The difference between Liverpool and their opponents is that they are less reckless in doing so, with Chelsea leaving themselves at risk whenever they go forward. Jurgen Klopp’s style is much more balanced, and the German has players such as Jordan Henderson and Fabinho in there to solidify the heart of his side and break up any potential danger on the counter-attack – something Lampard doesn’t have at his disposal. The Blues have the second-worst defence in the entire Premier League and concede 9.6 shots on their goal per game according to WhoScored, and Liverpool will need no second invitations to shoot at Stamford Bridge. If Lampard doesn’t find the right blend between attack and defence, the Reds could certainly run riot on Sunday, something he will be keen to avoid. Nicholas is right to predict goals in the game but to suggest that the Reds will concede twice when they have the joint-best defence in the league and are conceding less than one goal per game so far seems wrong, and players such as Abraham will need to be at their very best.
