Liverpool to Host Chelsea in Bothersome EFL Cup Tie

On paper it’s a headliner. In practice it won’t be the priority and could end up an afterthought.

The big, important news of the day for Liverpool fans was the Champions League group stage draw that saw the Reds land in arguably the toughest group of the competition along with Paris Saint-Germain, Napoli, and Red Star Belgrade.

However, there was another draw today—the EFL Cup third round draw. And in that draw, Liverpool ended up with arguably the toughest draw of the round, too, getting Chelsea. For those looking for silver linings, the game is at home.

Still, given it comes mere days before a league tie against Chelsea and in the midst of Champions League group play, it seems likely to be a match that will not see Jürgen Klopp running out his strongest lineup. And that’s fine.

Tottenham, Chelsea in the league, Manchester City, and a pair of Champions League ties—likely against Napoli away and at home to Red Star, as well as a home match against Southampton are all crammed into a busy four week period.

Now, Chelsea in the EFL Cup has been added to the mix, and if you asked Liverpool fans which match they would be most okay with sending out a weakened side and potentially sacrificing the result, it would be Chelsea in the cup.

So here we are. On paper, Liverpool vs. Chelsea is a headliner. In practice, it may be something of an afterthought for the Reds—a game to run out anyone who hasn’t played in a month and hope for the best.

Source: liverpooloffside.sbnation.com