Jose Mourinho
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is under immense pressure coming into the game against Liverpool Getty

Chelsea host Liverpool in the Premier League on Saturday, 31 October, as Jose Mourinho's men look to put in a strong statement following their league cup exit against Stoke City. The Blues are lying 15th in the league table and need a run of good results to get them out of this loop or fear losing out on a place in the Champions League next season.

Where to watch live

Kick-off is set for 12.45pm GMT. Live coverage of the game will be on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 1 HD.

Overview

Jose Mourinho faces one of his sternest tests against Liverpool, who are flying high under new manager Jurgen Klopp. On the other hand, Mourinho's men are struggling for form and are looking likely to finish out of the top four. Their League Cup exit against Stoke City on penalties has put further pressure on the manager to deliver, who has recently stated that he is not under pressure of being sacked.

Chelsea had come out with a public statement backing the manager despite the poor results, but owner Roman Abramovich's patience may be running thin after a start to the season that has been their worst in over a decade. Their last Premier League fixture ended in a 2-1 loss to West Ham, with Andy Carroll scoring the winner for the Hammers after the Blues had been reduced to ten men following Nemanja Matic's sending off in the first half.

The Portuguese manager went on a diatribe protesting the decision and was sent to the stands for displaying his angst towards the officials. Mourinho has been a serial offender when it comes to berating referees and faces a stadium ban should he cross the line one more time.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have managed their first win under Jurgen Klopp in a 1-0 win over Bournemouth in the fourth round of the league cup. The Reds had gone their last five games in all competitions without a win and this result will alleviate the pressure from the shoulders of Klopp, who has been heralded as the man to change the fortunes at Anfield.

The former Borussia Dortmund manager has been welcomed with a string of injuries to key players, with Danny Ings and Joe Gomez out of contention with long term injuries. Daniel Sturridge has also been in and out of the squad but Christian Benteke is expected to return following some time on the sidelines.

What managers say

Jose Mourinho: "Chelsea is a big club. It's the club that I choose to come (to). It's a club I live in a very specific way every day. Liverpool is a big club, Man United is a super big club. Last season Liverpool win nothing and didn't qualify for the Champions League. Two years ago Man United didn't qualify for the Champions League – not even Europa League – and won nothing. They are still a monster club, but that's football."

Jurgen Klopp: "Do the Chelsea players not know any more how to play football? No, of course not. They did well in the last game. Last year you know how Chelsea play – very good defence, very good structure and with the quality to finish the situation up front. It was not only [Eden] Hazard but [Diego] Costa, Oscar and Ramires, all great football players. Set pieces too are very dangerous with John Terry and [Gary] Cahill. It's difficult to play against Chelsea. I'm not sure it is easy to play against Chelsea. They were full of self confidence last year so maybe that makes a difference now but to be wounded, sometimes that makes you stronger too."

Betting Odds (bwin)

  • Chelsea Win: 2.1
  • Draw: 3.25
  • Liverpool Win: 3.90

Team News

Chelsea

Possible XI: Begovic; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry, Zouma; Matic, Fabregas; Willian, Hazard, Pedro; Costa

Liverpool

Possible XI: Mignolet; Moreno, Skrtel, Sakho, Clyne; Can, Lucas, Milner; Coutinho, Lallana; Benteke