How Pep Guardiola helped transform Chelsea – and why Naby Keita must start for Liverpool

The final stretch of Premier League matches, with Liverpool having to play just before the champions.

When it's time to get tough, it's reasonable to suggest that the test is outstanding. Chelsea at Anfield, which is taking place this Sunday.

The belief is that if Liverpool are able to overcome Maurizio Sarri's side, they will win all of their following contests considering that the average position of the four teams left after Chelsea is 15th. However, the prospect of facing Chelsea during a pressurized title run-in will bring back cold memories for Liverpool as a club, considering the happenings that materialized in 2013/14.

This time around, the current league leaders will have their heads, the Chelsea side is a 6-0 drubbing at the hands of Manchester City just two months ago.

In that fixture, Sarri employed an almost suicidal game plan, by opting to press Pep Guardiola's side to the extent that even Ederson was being closed down. This was done despite having a relatively old and squalid city, and despite the city being arguably the best in Europe when it comes to building their own game.

As a result, City sliced ​​through the Blues repetitively, especially behind the likes of Ross Barkley and N'Golo Kante, who were both instructed to press City's central defenders, shown above.

The 6-0 defeat appeared to hit Sarri hard, as he left the field without shaking Guardiola's hand, despite the two apparently being friends, and he altered his tactical approach versus top sides from that date.

Sarri was previously being considered as a stubborn, but that defeat instigated a degree of pragmatism to Chelsea's football that was not previously evident.

In the final League Cup, Sarri had developed a narrow view of the world, which is one of the most important features of the past decade.

Chelsea played against City for 120 minutes in this meeting and did not concede a single goal, and this continued when they put Tottenham in the Premier League.

Again, Chelsea kept a clean sheet with an approach that incorporated streetwise elements, shown below, and they beat Spurs 2-0 on the day.

In the 14 matches since that heavy 6-0 defeat, Chelsea have lost just twice, in the FA Cup to Manchester United, and away to Everton in the Premier League.

Ultimately, Jurgen Klopp is now facing an opponent who appears from previous mistakes, and one galvanized by what happened first against city.

This version of Sarri's team will remain rather more pressing than ever, and it is likely that Chelsea will be more likely to win a match against Liverpool when it comes to Stamford Bridge earlier in the season.

A late Daniel Sturridge is aiming for the Reds on that day, but if they are looking for a goal this weekend, they will need more than 30 yards.

At this stage, it will be possible to establish a relationship with the owner or to establish a partnership with the industry.

The answer to the question of how to do it, how do they have confidence in building their goalkeeper, then the home side's pressing will thrive.

However, they may opt to continue with the idea of ​​a more realistic theme.

The reason Chelsea's playing style remains relatively ambiguous at this stage of the day, and it is more likely that they will be in the final stage of the game. Spurs at Stamford Bridge recently, Sunday's meeting will be the first time since the 6-0 defeat that Sarri's side will face top opponent in an away fixture.

Nevertheless, it is reasonable to suggest that Chelsea's pragmatic trend will be maintained despite the fact that Liverpool hold, but if so, Klopp's team will have to be creative.

Naby Keita would make sense, as it is able to contribute to the importance of pressing and invention on the ball, meaning that regardless of what scenario emerges, it will be done regardless.

Overall, the tactical aspects of the fixture appear finely balanced, with an altered version of Chelsea likely to surface at Anfield.

Klopp 's Reds will have to win, and given that their opponents have played twice since Monday, the latter stages of the match may decide the contest – as it' s in several of Liverpool 's recent games.