The two sides are separated by 12 points as they prepare for an important battle at Anfield. Jose Mourinho's men are unbeaten in the ten games they have played so far and will be looking to maintain that. Liverpool on the other hand will be looking to get back on track after a slow start to the season.
Here we take a look at the five key battles which can decide Saturday's match.
Sterling vs Hazard
Raheem Sterling enjoyed a breakthrough season for the Reds last time out and after a bright start to the new campaign, the 19 year olds performances have faded away in recent games. Even though he has hardly been in his team's worst performer, the youngster is capable of performing better and should put his talents to good use when Liverpool welcome Chelsea to Anfield.
Eden Hazard on the other hand is starting to live up to his true potential and has been one of the best players in the league so far. He has scored thrice and has one assist to his name, however the stats do not reveal much about the Belgian's performances who has been absolutely impeccable so far and it is vital that Liverpool devise a plan to handle him.
Balotelli vs Drogba
With Diego Costa having returned from injury it is very likely that the Spaniard will lead the line for the Blues however it will not be a surprise if Drogba makes a cameo appearance during the match. The Ivorian is not as lethal as he used to be but is still capable of influencing any match. He scored a brilliant header against Man United which shows that he can still rub shoulders with the best and Liverpool should remain vary of the 36 year old.
Balotelli on the other hand has had a slow start to the new campaign and even though the Italian might be low on confidence he has bags of talent and can prove to be the difference during Saturday's encounter. The explosive striker has a penchant for the extraordinary and even though he is yet to impress in a Liverpool shirt one moment of brilliance from him can very well change the game.
Martin Skrtel vs Diego Costa
The Liverpool defence has leaked 13 goals in just 10 league games and the Reds would be reluctant to welcome one of the league's most dangerous strikers to Anfield. Costa hit the ground running from his first match in the Premier League and has not looked back since then.
The Brazilian born striker has scored nine goals in just eight appearances and will be relishing a battle against Martin Skrtel who has been as error prone as the rest of the Liverpool defence. For Liverpool to get anything out of the match it is important that the Slovakian steps up his game a notch and restricts the threat posed by Costa.
Jordan Henderson vs Cesc Fabregas
The former Barcelona man has been a vital part of the Chelsea side which has enjoyed a dream start to the season. However the Spaniard has been unable to draw his influence on the match when pressurized on the ball something which was evident in the games against Man United and Maribor.
Liverpool can use the talents of Jordan Henderson to ensure Chelsea do not find joy in the middle of the park. The former Sunderland man is a work horse and can effectively limit down the threat posed by Cesc Fabregas by tracking his movements. Should he successfully do that Liverpool will have a bigger chance of getting an upper hand over their counterparts.
Jose Mourinho vs Brendan Rodgers
The Portuguese was a mentor to Rodgers during his coaching days and on Saturday the Northern Irish tactician will try to outsmart him as he looks to register all three points. However whereas Jose Mourinho has been quite astute with his tactics, Rodgers has failed to live up to expectations so far.
Liverpool have switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation this season as opposed to the diamond which worked so well last season and it remains to be seen whether Rodgers will tweak his tactics for the big game. The former Swansea manager rested some of his big players during the midweek match against Real Madrid and he will be hopeful that the decision will pay off dividends on Saturday.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
This match has ended. Below are the original Live broadcast details for this match.
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Live TV coverage and streaming in United States
Follow the game on-the-go
Download our iOS and Android apps to follow soccer on-the-go. It comes packed with features - live scores, fixtures, results, tables, line-ups, stats, TV schedule and much more! Sorry, no live streaming within the app.
