Chelsea will host Liverpool at Stamford Bridge Saturday lunchtime in a game that could affect Jose Mourinho's future at the West London club.
The defending Premier League champions are searching for just their fourth win in the top flight this season, while Jurgen Klopp finally got off the mark in midweek's cup action.
Chelsea
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A game of this magnitude gains headlines every season, but this particular clash between these two top-class managers has the potential to have a detrimental affect on Mourinho's future at Chelsea.
If reports are to be believed, the Portuguese coach will be pushed out of the exit door if his side lose to Liverpool, in what would be their sixth defeat of the league campaign so far.
The Blues' season has been nothing short of dismal, and Mourinho's constant battle against the Football Association has not helped matters.
On the pitch, the reigning English champions have only managed to muster three league wins out of 10 games, while off it Mourinho has faced numerous FA charges, the latest of which is for misconduct after he confronted referee Jon Moss at half time during Chelsea's 2-1 defeat to West Ham United last weekend.
Mourinho has already been fined £50,000 for criticising referees, but he is now facing a touchline ban after he and his assistant Silvino Louro were sent to the stands at Upton Park for expressing their anger at Nemanja Matic being shown a red card following a second caution.
Chelsea's manager will need to turn things around significantly, but his blasting of match officials, TV pundits and the media, as well as the very public controversy involving former team doctor Eva Carneiro, are adding to the frustration around Stamford Bridge.
It is clear that the players who shone in Chelsea's title-winning campaign last season, including Cesc Fabregas, Diego Costa, Eden Hazard and Matic, have not quite been up to scratch so far.
The club's miserable run drifted into the Capital One Cup in midweek as Stoke City secured a penalty-shootout win over Mourinho's side in the fourth round of the competition; the nail in the coffin came when Hazard's spot kick was saved by Jack Butland.
Teams no longer feel fear when they take on the Blues as the club currently sit 15th in the league table, five points above the relegation zone and 11 behind current leaders Manchester City.
The team have only managed to keep two clean sheets and have conceded 19 goals, while managing 15 at the other end.
Should Chelsea lose to Liverpool, pressure will be mounted even further on Mourinho's shoulders, but behind the scenes, the club will need to deal with the headache of possibly paying up his four-year contract, which could reportedly cost £30m.
Recent form: LWDLWL
Recent form (all competitions): LLWDLL
Liverpool
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It has been a frustrating wait for Klopp to gain his first win as Liverpool manager, but the time came on Wednesday when his second-string side managed to claim a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth in the fourth round of the Capital One Cup.
It was not the most emphatic of wins as Nathaniel Clyne's strike was the only thing to separate the two sides on the night.
Since October 4, Liverpool have been unable to score more than one goal in five games, which is a worry for Klopp, but injuries to Danny Ings, Daniel Sturridge and Christian Benteke have contributed to the team's lack of goalmouth activity.
Roberto Firmino particularly impressed for the Reds against Bournemouth in midweek following a lacklustre start since his summer move from Hoffenheim, but the Brazilian's quality will really be tested when the team takes on tougher opposition.
Klopp handed some game time to academy players Cameron Brannagan, Connor Randall and Joao Teixeira in midweek, indicating that he is keen to bring some of the young guns through to the first team, but the German coach is expected to revert to experienced personnel when they face Chelsea.
While the pressure on Klopp is nowhere near the level on Mourinho ahead of this fixture, the 48-year-old will be required to get a run of wins under his belt at some point following back-to-back draws in the Premier League.
In five away games in the top flight this season, Liverpool have only managed to pick up six points out of a possible 15, scoring just four goals in total.
Given the rumours surrounding this fixture, if Liverpool beat the Blues, the Merseyside outfit could end Mourinho's Chelsea career two years after the Portuguese coach ended the Reds' hopes of winning the title.
Recent form: LDWDDD
Recent form (all competitions): DDDDDW
Team News
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The surprise inclusion could be that of Chelsea striker Diego Costa as the Spain international is reportedly desperate to play in this fixture, despite damaging his ribs in midweek.
Should the striker play, he will be heavily strapped, but if he is ruled out, then Loic Remy could lead the attack for the home side.
Some rare good news for Chelsea is that Matic will be available after serving his one-match suspension, while Branislav Ivanovic is likely to miss out with a hamstring injury.
John Terry and Gary Cahill are expected to marshall the defence, while Hazard, Fabregas, Willian and Pedro could all start in this crucial fixture.
For Liverpool, James Milner will return after being suspended for the Bournemouth game, while goalkeeper Simon Mignolet should reclaim his place between the sticks after being rested against the Cherries.
Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana are likely to be tasked with providing attacking flair just behind the striker, who is likely to be Benteke as Klopp confirmed that the Belgian will be fit after suffering a knock to his knee.
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Begovic; Azpilicueta, Cahill, Terry, Zouma; Matic, Fabregas; Willian, Hazard, Pedro; Costa
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Mignolet; Moreno, Skrtel, Sakho, Clyne; Can, Lucas, Milner; Coutinho, Lallana; Benteke
Head To Head
Chelsea may be struggling for results at the moment, but it is Liverpool who have had a disappointing run against the West London outfit in their last six meetings.
The Reds have lost three and drawn the remaining fixtures, and added to that, the Merseyside outfit have not won any of their last five trips to London.
The positive for Liverpool though is that they have only suffered defeat once in their last five league matches at Stamford Bridge, and Klopp has experienced success over Mourinho before by beating him on two occasions in the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund.
The past meeting between these two sides at the Bridge ended in a 1-1 draw in May, with Terry and Steven Gerrard getting the goals.
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Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:
We say: Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool
No more than three goals have been scored between Chelsea and Liverpool in their last five meetings, and this weekend could prove to be another tight contest. There is huge pressure on the Blues to get a result, particularly with the added advantage of being at home, but Liverpool have lost just twice in the league so far this season. It is the perfect opportunity for the Merseyside outfit to take advantage of Chelsea's poor spell, but Klopp could be looking at another draw, while Mourinho may be able to keep hold of his job for a bit longer with a point.
Danielle Joynson
