Salah starts: Confirmed lineups for Chelsea vs Liverpool in Premier League Matchday 7

The 2025-26 Premier League Matchday 7 kicked off Friday with Bournemouth’s 3-1 win over Fulham, a result that lifted the Cherries into second place in the standings. Liverpool are the current leaders and will look to stay on top in Saturday’s clash against Chelsea.

The Reds are the reigning champions in England and started this campaign with the same dominant energy. However, after five straight wins, they suffered their first league loss of the season against Crystal Palace, followed by another defeat against Galatasaray in the league phase of the UEFA Champions League.

On the other side, Chelsea lifted the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 this past summer, but domestically they haven’t shown the same strength. After six matches, the Blues sit in eighth place with eight points, earned from two wins, two draws and two defeats. In Europe, they’ve recorded one win and one loss.

With this context, both Liverpool and Chelsea have plenty at stake Saturday at Stamford Bridge. Arne Slot’s side face a tough road challenge and must show character to bounce back from two straight defeats, while Enzo Maresca’s team has an ideal chance to test themselves against a top rival and prove what they are capable of.

Confirmed Chelsea lineup

Chelsea had four days of rest since their last match, a 1-0 win over Benfica in the Champions League. However, the Blues’ biggest concern is the injury list, which includes key players such as Cole Palmer, Liam Delap and Levi Colwill.

Enzo Maresca’s confirmed XI: Robert Sanchez; Reece James, Malo Gusto, Josh Acheampong, Benoit Badiashile, Marc Cucurella; Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez; Alejandro Garnacho, Pedro Neto; Joao Pedro.

Confirmed Liverpool lineup

Unlike Chelsea, who fielded their strongest possible lineup in Europe this week, Liverpool traveled to Turkey with several big names starting on the bench, including Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister and Alexander Isak. After that rest, all of them are returning on Saturday.

Arne Slot’s confirmed XI: Giorgi Mamardashvili; Conor Bradley, Virgil Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Milos Kerkez; Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister; Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo; Alexander Isak.