Manchester United legend Gary Neville has backed Chelsea to make Liverpool uncomfortable in this weekend’s Carabao Cup final, saying the Blues are excellent against teams that push up the pitch.
Neville Claims Liverpool Will Know They Are In For A Cracker Following Chelsea’s Draw With Manchester City
Chelsea, who are toiling in 10th place in the Premier League, traveled to the Etihad Stadium for their clash with defending English champions Manchester City on Saturday (February 17). Mauricio Pochettino’s side scored the opener through Raheem Sterling in the 42nd minute and looked on course for a slender win until Rodri popped up with the equalizer in the 83rd minute.
Throughout the game, Chelsea created quite a few presentable opportunities, courtesy of their ability to exploit space left behind by the Cityzens. Luckily for City, the visitors squandered all but one of those opportunities.
Previewing the clash between Liverpool and Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final on Sunday (February 25), Neville cautioned Jurgen Klopp about the west Londoners’ counter-attacking ability. He said (via TeamTalk):
“Liverpool are favorites next week, let’s be clear. But Chelsea have a real chance. What they showed on Saturday is that when a team push up the pitch – which Liverpool do – they can counter-attack and be really dangerous. I think it suits Chelsea.
“Jackson needs space to run into, Sterling needs space to run into, Palmer likes to deliver passes into space. I think Chelsea find it harder – like they did against Crystal Palace the other night – [against teams] that sit with ten men on the edge of the box. I think it’s game on. I’m really looking forward to it. Liverpool will know they’re in for a game.”
Klopp Will Be Without Some Of His Top Players On Sunday
Premier League leaders Liverpool have secured back-to-back big wins over Burnley (3-1) and Brentford (4-1), making them favorites heading into the game on Sunday. However, due to injuries to some key players, Klopp cannot afford to rest on his laurels.
Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota picked up knocks in the win over Brentford over the weekend and are almost certain to miss the clash against Chelsea. First-choice goalkeeper Alisson will also sit this one out, with some reports suggesting he might not bounce back from his hamstring issue before March.
Lastly, Darwin Nunez also left the pitch with some discomfort on Saturday and is a minor doubt for Sunday’s final.
Add Sportslens to your Google News Feed!
