By Daniel Davis
Published: | Updated:
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It’s almost go-time!
The Anfield atmosphere is ramping up. KO is in less than 10 minutes.
Man United team news
Starting XI: Onana, Dalot, Maguire, Varane, Wan-Bissaka, Casemiro, Mainoo, Fernandes, Garnacho, Antony, Hojlund
Substitutes: Heaton, Amrabat, Mount, Rashford, Eriksen, Diallo, Evans, McTominay, Kambwala
Chelsea team news
Starting XI: Petrovic, Gusto, Disasi, Badiashile, Cucurella, Fernandez, Caicedo, Gallagher, Mudryk, Palmer, Jackson
Substitutes: Bettinelli, Silva, Sterling, Madueke, Chalobah, Chukwuemeka, Casadei, Gilchrist, Tauriainen
Rashford dropped
According to reports, Marcus Rashford has been benched tonight!
Grand plans
Chris Wilder is plotting to upset Liverpool tonight and ahead of kick-off, he revealed exactly how his side will have to approach this game.
‘We have to be the best we are, defend well, be aggressive, competitive and can’t just give them the ball back,’ Wilder said.
“We will have to have a huge night if we are to get a big result.
‘We’re playing at Anfield with them going for the title in front of 60,000 at a cathedral of a ground known worldwide.
‘We have to rise to the occasion. We need a top, top performance.’
A huge night
Erik ten Hag and Mauricio Pochettino were all smiles before kick-off.
I wonder how they’ll be feeling at the final whistle, though.
We’ll have team news for this game in less than 10 minutes.
No margin for error
It really is a case of do-or-die for Manchester United this evening.
Erik ten Hag has just wandered out to the centre circle at Stamford Bridge, a rare moment of peace of mind for the under-pressure boss.
A win would put United six points adrift of fifth place, which is likely to be enough to secure Champions League football next season.
If they were to lose, though… well, it wouldn’t bode well for Ten Hag, especially with INEOS plotting sweeping changes this summer.
Chelsea, meanwhile, are 12th, one point behind Bournemouth. It’s been a torrid season so far for Mauricio Pochettino and his players.
‘We must be at our A-game’
Sheffield United boss Chris Wilder, speaking to TNT Sports…
‘We have got to have a structure and we have got to enjoy the challenge ahead of us.
‘I am sure that plenty of players would love to be in the position that our players are in tonight, in front of an incredible crowd.
‘We have got to perform tonight and bring our A-game to get anything.
‘This is the Premier League and if you are going to get the shock result we have to be at our A-game.’
Klopp ‘calm’ despite title pressure
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, speaking to TNT Sports…
‘I am happy with our situation and I don’t think you can compare these things, a lot of things have changed since then [2019-20 title win].
‘If you start the season you hope for things like this, but it is a long journey and we want to make the final step as well.
‘[I’m] calm. I know people might not believe that, I am pretty calm. I cannot force it and it is about making sure the boys enjoy it.’
Reporting for duty!
Liverpool are in the building and look like they mean business.
They stroll past the ‘Walk of Champions’ wall on every home matchday, which tallies up the number of trophies in their history.
Can they chalk up another Premier League gong this season?
We’ll find out in just a matter of weeks!
McBurnie benched
Sheffield United have also made two changes tonight.
James McAtee and Auston Trusty have been recalled, with Ben Osborn and Oli McBurnie dropping down to the bench.
Oliver Arblaster and Vinicius Souza are both fit despite knock fears.
This is a big occasion for Jack Robinson, who progressed through the academy at Anfield. He’ll hope to make an impression.
Konate, Gravenberch in
Liverpool have made two changes to the side that started the victory against Brighton, while Wataru Endo has missed out on the squad.
Ibrahima Konate starts at centre back with Jarrell Quansah on the bench, while Ryan Gravenberch comes into central midfield.
Curtis Jones is among the substitutes after returning to fitness, as is Andy Robertson. That’s a real boost for the Reds.
That front three… that’s some serious firepower.
Sheffield United team news
Starting XI: Grbic, Robinson, Ahmedhodzic, Holgate, Trusty, Hamer, Arblaster, Souza, Bogle, Brereton Diaz, McAtee
Substitutes: Foderingham, Osborn, Larouci, Curtis, Norwood, Ben Slimane, Brooks, Osula, McBurnie
Liverpool team news
Starting XI: Kelleher, Gomez, van Dijk, Konate, Bradley, Mac Allister, Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Diaz, Nunez, Salah
Substitutes: Adrian, Jones, Gakpo, Elliot, Tsmikas, Robertson, Clark, Danns, Quansah
Early Liverpool team news
Andy Robertson and Curtis Jones are both in contention tonight.
Jones is in full training while Robertson has unsurprisingly been hailed as ‘very important’ by Jurgen Klopp ahead of this game.
Wataru Endo picked up a knock during the win against Brighton and Klopp admitted ‘we will see what we can do with him’.
Diogo Jota, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alisson remain sidelined.
Klopp: We must be professional
Jurgen Klopp is keen for Liverpool to remain level-headed despite their title challenge but wants to see the ‘best version’ of his side.
Speaking to reporters, he said: ‘After we lost at Arsenal, we were not the favourites after that game, maybe rightly so.
‘I don’t know and I don’t care.
‘One of the most important things to get through this period is just to ignore the outside mess because that goes up and down.
‘We have to be professional. We have to be emotional in the right way.
‘We have to be the best version of ourselves, try to play the best football we can and then see what the outcome is.’
Make no mistake, this is a huge evening for the Reds…
Good evening!
Hello, all! I hope everyone’s strapped in and ready for another dramatic night of Premier League action. I know I am!
This season’s title race has turned into an absolute classic. We’ve got a three-way fight on our hands, ladies and gentlemen.
Tonight, it’s over to Liverpool. A victory against Sheffield United would send them back to the top, above Arsenal and Manchester City.
They’re the title favourites and this *should* be comfortable for them.
Then, a little later, it’s over to Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea will host a crisis-hit Manchester United, whose top-five hopes are rapidly fading.
Erik ten Hag needs a miracle to qualify for the Champions League – and potentially save his job – and it needs to start today in the capital.
We’ll have all the team news and updates right here.
Key Updates
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Man United team news
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Chelsea team news
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Sheffield United team news
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Liverpool team news
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Good evening!
Premier League
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