Arguably the game of the fourth round in the EFL Cup takes place at Anfield as Liverpool take on Chelsea.
The Reds are having a good season under new boss Andoni Iraola and look to be going from strength to strength, as they enter this game amidst their best run of form this season.
Liverpool have now won four games on the bounce, beating LASK (6-3), Brentford (2-1), Villarreal (4-3) and Brighton (2-0). Performances have been improving after a tricky start and excitement is now starting to build for the team's prospects under the Spaniard.
In this competition Liverpool beat Tottenham 3-1 in the previous round, with goals coming from Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Dominic Szoboszlai.
Youngster Rio Ngumoha is starting to impressive notably in a Liverpool shirt, providing an injection of spark and creativity on the wing. Having recorded two assists against Villarreal, he'll be keen to make a further impression here in a game he'll likely start.
Chelsea, meanwhile, come into this game in a precarious position. The team has been up-and-down under Xabi Alonso this season and that's reflected in the team's recent form, which has seen them win two, draw one and lose two of their last five games.
In their most recent outing, Spurs were beaten 0-2 at home by a struggling Tottenham side. The result was disappointing in a vacuum but was made worse by the performance, with Spurs deserving winners and clearly the better side.
Fairly or unfairly, many fans are slowly growing sceptical of manager Xabi Alonso who needs a good performance here.
Chelsea, though, haven't won at Anfield in any competition since 2018 and we don't think that'll change this week.
Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea
