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Why Liverpool postponement could help Chelsea move top of the Premier League in January | Football News

December 9, 2024

On a weekend where they didn’t even play, Liverpool gained some traction on two of their title rivals, Arsenal and Manchester City. In many ways, things couldn’t be going much better for Arne Slot’s side.

Things looked even better with Tottenham 2-0 up on their other closest challengers, Chelsea, inside 11 minutes on Sunday. It looked like a potential classic Spurs victory until Enzo Maresca regrouped his side at the interval, told them they were still in the game and then watched them net three second-half goals to win 4-3.

And more importantly, it moved them four points off the league leaders, who had a watching brief after Storm Darragh’s unwelcome input put paid to the Merseyside derby on Saturday lunchtime.

It was 45 minutes away from being Liverpool’s perfect weekend, but instead Chelsea have a dangerous trio of momentum, the most potent attack in the Premier League, and a favourable fixture list over the coming weeks.

Liverpool have only one free midweek until the end of January and that comes over the busy New Year period, so it looks unlikely they will be able to find a new date to face Everton during that time – meaning a four-point swing would be enough for Chelsea to overturn their lead.

With the deepest squad of the title chasers and now out in front as the top scorers in the division, Enzo Maresca’s insistence that the Blues are not in the race may not hold water for much longer.

Of Chelsea’s next seven league games before a trip to the Etihad Stadium on January 25, only Crystal Palace finished last season in the top half of the Premier League, and none of their upcoming opponents sit in the top seven of the league this year.

The average position of their opponents in that time is 13.7, while Arsenal’s is 11.9 and Liverpool’s the highest with 11.1. The Reds also have to face traditional big-six rivals Tottenham and Man Utd in that time – though both currently languish in the bottom half of the league – as well as Nottm Forest, who won at Old Trafford on Saturday.

The only three top-half teams Chelsea face come in the form of Brentford, Bournemouth and Fulham – with all three travelling to Stamford Bridge – and each an opponent the Blues will be confident of beating on their day.

That would, bizarrely enough, need to begin with a first-ever Premier League home win over the Bees this weekend, as Thomas Frank’s side have beaten them in all three games at Stamford Bridge since their promotion in 2021.

But this is a Chelsea side in the kind of form which it has been lacking in recent years, while Brentford are yet to win away from home this season.

The Blues’ run of 12 goals in three games to see off Aston Villa, Southampton and now Spurs has elevated them to the position of the division’s top goalscorers, four ahead of Frank’s Bees in an unlikely second spot.

Those goals have come from seven different scorers across the week, with Maresca fully showcasing his deep squad to allow 21 different players to feature in the 270 minutes of Premier League football.

Only Southampton, Man City and Ipswich have made more starting line-up changes this season, but it has not affected Maresca’s side in the same way as any of the trio given the strength of options he has in reserve.

The Blues’ other four games come against Ipswich, Crystal Palace, Everton and Wolves – all sides within five points of the relegation zone as things stand.

Maresca’s side are yet to be beaten by any side in the bottom half, and have a points-per-game record only bettered by their two title rivals Arsenal and Liverpool in games against teams outside the top 10.

Whether Chelsea’s points tally and form is enough to sustain a title charge for another 23 games will be tested in the new year, but Jamie Carragher thinks they will lack the quality defensively to lift the Premier League trophy in May.

Addressing their title challenge on Super Sundayhe said: “It is real, because they are there. The big advantage for them is not playing in the Champions League, so Maresca can change the whole team and it’s still a proper team.

“They’ve got six or seven forwards who you could arguably say are first choice. Not being in the Carabao Cup could be important if Arsenal or Liverpool get to the final.

“I look at the goalkeeper and two centre-backs, Benoit Badiashile who played (against Tottenham) and I just can’t see someone winning the Premier League with that goalkeeper and without real stand-out centre-back.

“City won it with Ederson and Ruben Dias, Liverpool with Alisson and Virgil van Dijk, you go back to John Terry and Petr Cech. Those figures you think you need to win a title, I still think Chelsea are still a little bit short in those areas.”