Can Sarriball stifle Klopp’s pressing machine?

Chelsea face Liverpool for the second time in four days on Saturday. What can we expect from both teams?

Until Wednesday’s loss to Chelsea in the third round of the Carabao Cup, Liverpool had been playing like a team who had left the concept of defeat behind them, having won seven straight games. Whatever satisfaction the Blues got from the win, however, it’s difficult to draw any meaningful conclusions given how significantly both managers changed their starting XIs. If not for a(nother) moment of individual brilliance from Eden Hazard, the spoils of victory could have easily gone the other way.

First true test for Sarriball

For all intents and purposes, Saturday’s game is Chelsea’s (and Maurizio Sarri’s) first big test of the Premier League season. Their 3-2 win over Arsenal occurred in only the second week of the campaign, when both Sarri and Unai Emery were still getting to know their squads and some key players who had featured in the World Cup had yet to get back up to full speed. Sarri has now had an extra month and a half to work with his players, and Liverpool have been the best team in the league so far. This will tell us far more about his progress than any other match Chelsea have played this year.

Beyond the battle for points, the match will showcase an interesting clash of styles. The hosts will look to perfect their version of Sarriball, a style of play based on a healthy dose of possession, designed to draw out the opposition, before capitalizing with quick, vertical passing. Chelsea struggled against West Ham last weekend because West Ham refused to be drawn out of their defensive shape. In that game, against far weaker opposition, the result was a lot of boring possession. Against Liverpool’s aggressive high press, the approach may prove downright suicidal.

When they don’t have the ball, Sarri’s teams also press high up the field, requiring their defense to hold what can occasionally appear a perilously high line. Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino have been lethal against teams that leave a lot of space behind their defenders (see: Manchester City’s run of results against Liverpool).

Sarri’s not the sort of manager to drastically change his tactics based on the strength of the opposition, but it will be interesting to see whether his side might be slightly more cautious when they lose the ball. They were caught out several times by Xherdan Shaqiri and Daniel Sturridge on Wednesday. With Salah and Firmino back in the team, the Reds are unlikely to be as wasteful.

How will Liverpool cope with Hazard?

Judging by the first six games of the Premier League, it’s safe to say that as Hazard goes, so go Chelsea. The good news for the Blues is that Hazard has had a spectacular start to the season, scoring six goals and assisting three others, contributing decisively to Chelsea’s impressive start. His latest masterpiece came against Liverpool during the Carabao Cup clash.

If, for some strange reason, the Liverpool defenders weren’t already expecting Hazard to be able to dance around them like this, they’ll now be actively planning to stifle him. Sarri deserves credit for the way he’s improved Hazard’s usage early this season, allowing him the freedom to operate and find spaces and mismatches across the field.

The Belgian playmaker likes to drift wide and isolate himself against the opponents outside backs. It will be interesting to see how quickly Liverpool close down Hazard with additional players, avoiding any one-on-one duels against Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson.

What will determine the outcome?

For all their differences, both Sarri and Klopp have much in common in the way they engage in a quick-hitting, vertical attack. Quick-passing, overlapping runs and seeking out channels in space behind the defense are the hallmarks of both teams.

Tactical chess match aside, in the end it’s very likely the outcome will be determined by an individual moment of brilliance, as was the case Wednesday night. Will this be the game that Salah regains his magic from last season, or will Hazard continue his outstanding spell of play?

With so much world-class talent on the field and with both teams playing up to their potential, this game promises to be a treat.