Liverpool vs Chelsea: 3 key battles to look out for | Premier League 2022-23

Liverpool will go head-to-head with Chelsea in one of this weekend's Premier League fixtures on Saturday (January 21) at Anfield.

The Reds have been quite inconsistent and have only won two of their last five games across all competitions. Similarly, they currently occupy ninth position in the Premier League standings.

The Blues have also been inconsistent as well and have won only one of their last five games across all competitions. Furthermore, they currently occupy tenth position in the league standings.

This article will look at three key battles that could determine the outcome of this encounter. Without further ado, let's look at them.

#3 Mason Mount vs Fabinho

Fulham FC v Chelsea FC - Premier League 20

Despite his poor run of form in recent months, Mason Mount is intelligent with the ball at his feet and his attacking threat is immense. The Chelsea midfielder has netted three goals and has registered two assists in 18 Premier League appearances this season.

Mount's vision and ability to pick out his teammates in attack is outstanding. Monitoring his movements around the opposition’s penalty box is a tough task and Fabinho will have to be defensively robust if he intends to silence him in this encounter.

However, Fabinho's defensive awareness as well as his ability to stabilize the midfield is immense. It will be interesting to see if he will silence Mount in this encounter.

#2 Mohamed Salah vs Marc Cucurella

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Mohamed Salah is arguably one of the best wingers in the Premier League despite his team's lack of consistency this season.

The Egyptian has netted seven goals and has registered four assists in 18 Premier League appearances so far. One unique thing about Salah is his ability to singlehandedly maneuver his way into the opposition's penalty box and place the ball in the back of the net in style.

Monitoring his movement on the flank is a difficult task as he's very fast and can outrun defenders in quick succession. Marc Cucurella will have to avoid excessive overlapping if he intends to keep Salah under his tabs in this encounter. However, he is athletic and his defensive intuition is decent. It will however be interesting to see if he can keep Salah under his tabs in this encounter.

#1 Kai Havertz vs Ibrahima Konate

Kai Havertz - Chelsea FC v Crystal Palace - Premier League 2022-23

Despite Chelsea's inconsistency in the ongoing 2022-23 campaign, Kai Havertz has been impressive and his attacking intuition is remarkable. He has netted five goals and has registered one assist in 18 Premier League appearances this season. Similarly, he's Chelsea's top-scorer in the league so far with five goals.

Monitoring Havertz's movement in the penalty box is a tough task as his ability to position himself in attack is outstanding. Konate will definitely have his work cut out in this encounter. However, Konate's defensive intuition is remarkable and it will be interesting to see if he can keep Havertz under his tabs in this encounter.