Liverpool welcome Chelsea to Anfield today, 9 May 2026, for a high-profile Premier League Matchweek 36 encounter with European qualification still on the line for both clubs. The Reds enter the early kickoff looking to strengthen their grip on a Champions League place, while Chelsea desperately need to end one of their poorest league runs in decades and salvage something from a turbulent domestic campaign.
Arne Slot's Liverpool begin the weekend fourth in the Premier League with 58 points from 35 matches, 10 points ahead of ninth-placed Chelsea. The reigning champions have fallen a long way short of successfully defending the title they won in 2024/25, but securing Champions League football would at least provide an important objective from a difficult campaign. Chelsea, meanwhile, have 48 points and are out of the race for a top-five finish, although European qualification through the lower positions remains possible depending on the final standings and results elsewhere.
The visitors also arrive with another major fixture on the horizon after reaching the FA Cup final, but their immediate task is attempting to stop a six-game Premier League losing streak against a Liverpool team that has generally been difficult to beat at Anfield.
Liverpool vs Chelsea Head-to-Head Summary: Last 10 Matches
Liverpool and Chelsea have produced some remarkably tight encounters in recent seasons, particularly when the teams have met in cup competitions. Five of the 10 competitive meetings immediately before today's game ended level after normal or extra time, including the 2022 League Cup and FA Cup finals that Liverpool eventually won on penalties.
The last 10 competitive meetings before today's fixture were:
4 October 2025: Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool
4 May 2025: Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool
20 October 2024: Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea
25 February 2024: Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool after extra time
31 January 2024: Liverpool 4-1 Chelsea
13 August 2023: Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool
4 April 2023: Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool
21 January 2023: Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea
14 May 2022: Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool after extra time – Liverpool won on penalties
27 February 2022: Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool after extra time – Liverpool won on penalties
That gives Liverpool three outright victories, Chelsea two and five draws, with Liverpool scoring 10 goals and Chelsea eight. The 18 goals across those matches produce an average of only 1.8 per game, highlighting just how closely contested the rivalry has often been despite the attacking quality available to both clubs.
Chelsea have, however, begun to change the direction of the recent series. They have won the last two Premier League meetings and arrive at Anfield attempting to complete a league double over Liverpool for the first time since the 2013/14 season.
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Most Recent Meeting: Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool
The reverse fixture took place at Stamford Bridge on 4 October 2025, when Chelsea secured a dramatic 2-1 victory through a stoppage-time winner from Estêvão Willian.
Moisés Caicedo opened the scoring with a powerful long-range effort during the first half before Cody Gakpo equalised for Liverpool after the interval. The game appeared to be heading towards a draw until Estêvão arrived at the far post in the fifth minute of stoppage time to convert Marc Cucurella's cross and secure all three points.
That victory followed Chelsea's 3-1 win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in May 2025, meaning the Blues enter today's game chasing a third consecutive Premier League victory over the Reds. Liverpool will therefore be looking not only for important Champions League points but also to prevent Chelsea from completing an uncommon recent double over them.
Liverpool's Record at Anfield
Liverpool's home record remains one of the strongest reasons to make them favourites despite the inconsistencies that have affected their title defence. Before today's match, Slot's team had collected 34 points from 17 Premier League games at Anfield, winning 10, drawing four and losing only three.
Those defeats came against Manchester United, Nottingham Forest and Manchester City, while Liverpool enter the Chelsea game unbeaten in their previous four league matches at Anfield, with three wins and one draw. They are also looking to record three consecutive home Premier League victories for the first time since the opening weeks of the season.
Chelsea have found Anfield particularly difficult over a longer period. The Blues have won only once in their previous 10 Premier League visits to the stadium, drawing five and losing four. Their most recent league victory there came in March 2021, and Liverpool are unbeaten in the four Anfield meetings since then.
Liverpool's Current Form
Liverpool's season has been much more inconsistent than their championship-winning campaign of 2024/25. The Reds enter Matchweek 36 with 11 Premier League defeats, their highest total in a season since 2014/15, while the 47 league goals they have conceded represent the worst defensive record by a reigning Premier League champion since Leicester City in 2016/17.
There have nevertheless been signs of improvement. Liverpool have won six of their previous 10 league matches, drawing once and losing three, and their recent victories over Everton, Crystal Palace and Fulham helped them establish a valuable advantage in the Champions League qualification race.
Their most recent outing was less encouraging, however, as Manchester United defeated them 3-2 at Old Trafford on 3 May. Dominik Szoboszlai and Gakpo scored for Liverpool, but another inconsistent defensive performance prevented Slot's team from extending their positive run.
Liverpool have scored 59 league goals while conceding 47, and one of their biggest problems has been defending dead-ball situations. They had conceded 17 Premier League goals from set pieces excluding penalties before this weekend, their highest total in a single Premier League campaign. That weakness could give Chelsea an obvious area to target at Anfield.
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Chelsea's Current Form
Chelsea's immediate form is far more concerning. The Blues enter today's game having lost six consecutive Premier League matches, something the club had not experienced since November 1993. Another defeat would equal their club record of seven successive league losses, set in 1952.
Their most recent league match ended in a 3-1 home defeat against Nottingham Forest on Monday, continuing a run that ultimately contributed to Chelsea drifting into ninth place. The defensive problems have been particularly damaging, with the Blues conceding in each of their previous 13 Premier League games and allowing three goals in four of the last five.
Chelsea's season has also involved major managerial disruption. Calum McFarlane returned as interim head coach on 22 April following the dismissal of Liam Rosenior and successfully guided the team past Leeds United to reach the FA Cup final. However, he had been unable to reverse their league decline before the trip to Anfield.
One area where Chelsea's numbers are considerably better than their recent reputation suggests is away from home. They had accumulated 25 Premier League points on their travels, with only Arsenal, Manchester City and Tottenham collecting more, while their 30 away goals were bettered only by Manchester City. Their current six-match losing sequence therefore makes them a dangerous but highly unpredictable opponent rather than simply a poor travelling side.
Liverpool Team News and Injuries
Liverpool have several important absences, particularly in attacking areas, but the situation regarding Alexander Isak is better than initially feared.
Mohamed Salah and Alisson Becker remain unavailable with hamstring injuries and had not returned to training before the Chelsea game. Hugo Ekitike is also among Liverpool's long-term absentees, alongside Conor Bradley, Wataru Endo, Stefan Bajcetic and Giovanni Leoni. Ekitike's absence is particularly significant because he leads Liverpool's Premier League scoring chart with 11 goals this season.
Isak, however, should not be listed as definitely ruled out. The striker missed the Manchester United defeat with a minor groin problem but returned to partial team training during the week. Slot confirmed that a late decision would be made regarding how much he could contribute against Chelsea.
There is also encouraging news in goal. Giorgi Mamardashvili was scheduled to resume full training after missing two games because of a leg wound and was being assessed for a return, potentially reducing the likelihood of Freddie Woodman needing to start again. Ibrahima Konaté and Florian Wirtz are available despite missing part of an earlier training session for personal and illness-related reasons, respectively.
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Chelsea Team News and Injuries
Chelsea also arrive with significant selection problems. Goalkeeper Robert Sánchez and Jesse Derry are unavailable after suffering head injuries during the defeat against Nottingham Forest, meaning McFarlane will have to make changes at both ends of his lineup.
Estêvão, who scored the dramatic winner against Liverpool in October, has already been ruled out for the remainder of the season, while Jamie Gittens remains sidelined with a hamstring problem. Alejandro Garnacho and Pedro Neto are major doubts after carrying knocks into the final training sessions before the Anfield trip.
There is more positive news surrounding Reece James and Levi Colwill, who have returned to full training and are pushing to be involved. Colwill played 45 minutes against Nottingham Forest, while James was an unused substitute, giving McFarlane the possibility of restoring more experience to his defensive unit.
Chelsea's biggest attacking threat is likely to be João Pedro. He has scored 20 times in all competitions this season and has been directly involved in seven of Chelsea's previous nine Premier League goals, scoring six and assisting another. His movement around Liverpool's centre-backs could become particularly important if the visitors adopt a more counter-attacking approach.
Tactical Matchup and Style of Play
1. Liverpool
Slot is likely to ask Liverpool to dominate possession and press Chelsea aggressively, particularly given the visitors' lack of confidence. With Salah and Ekitike unavailable, however, the attacking structure cannot depend on the same combinations Liverpool would use with a fully fit forward line.
Gakpo and Wirtz should therefore carry greater creative responsibility, while Szoboszlai's ability to make late runs from midfield and shoot from distance provides another potential route to goal. If Isak is fit enough to feature, even from the bench, his presence would give Liverpool a natural centre-forward option later in the match.
The main tactical concern remains Liverpool's defensive vulnerability. Chelsea possess enough pace and quality to punish turnovers, while the Reds' problems from set pieces give McFarlane another potential route towards an upset.
2. Chelsea
Chelsea's tactical identity has changed repeatedly during a chaotic season, but Slot noted before the game that McFarlane's approach has similarities to the possession-oriented football previously used under Enzo Maresca. Rather than simply defending with a low block, Chelsea can use Caicedo and Enzo Fernández to compete for control in midfield before finding Palmer and João Pedro between Liverpool's lines.
The difficulty is maintaining that structure when pressure increases. Chelsea's failure to keep a clean sheet in 13 consecutive league games suggests Liverpool should eventually create opportunities, particularly if the Anfield crowd becomes heavily involved.
Liverpool vs Chelsea Match Expectations
Liverpool deserve to enter the game as favourites because of their stronger league position, home advantage and Chelsea's six-match losing sequence. They also know that a victory, combined with favourable results elsewhere, could secure Champions League qualification before the final two matches of the campaign.
The matchup is not as straightforward as Chelsea's recent form might suggest. The Blues have beaten Liverpool twice consecutively in the league, possess one of the better away points totals in the division and still have dangerous attacking players capable of exploiting the defensive weaknesses that have troubled Slot's team throughout the season.
Liverpool's injuries also narrow the gap. Salah and Ekitike are significant attacking losses, while uncertainty around Isak and Mamardashvili leaves Slot without the full-strength spine he would ideally want for an important game.
Chelsea, however, must prove that their six-match losing streak has not caused lasting damage to confidence. If Liverpool can establish control early and score first, the visitors may find another comeback difficult. If Chelsea can frustrate the home side and remain level deep into the game, the pressure surrounding Liverpool's Champions League chase could make the contest increasingly tense.
Liverpool therefore remain the more likely winners, but recent head-to-head results and Chelsea's stronger-than-expected away numbers suggest this should not be viewed as a routine home victory. With Champions League qualification on Liverpool's mind and Chelsea desperately searching for a response before their FA Cup final, another competitive chapter in this long-running rivalry looks likely at Anfield.