Ex-Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson is backing his former club to beat Chelsea this weekend.

Asked by Instant Casino about the Reds’ prospects under manager Arne Slot, Lawrenson says he expects them to pick up three points on Sunday, but they will have a harder time against tougher opponents:

“I wouldn’t say Liverpool have had a ‘honeymoon’ period so far this season under Arne Slot, they’ve just beaten the teams that they’ve come up against. I see them beating Chelsea, not so much Arsenal.”

Slot’s men will be facing a Chelsea team who have won all three of their away games in the league so far but Lawrenson believes the home side will have enough to secure victory.

Team news ahead of the Chelsea fixture

Alexis Mac Allister is expected to be available for the game at Anfield. The midfielder was substituted at half-time during the win against Crystal Palace before the international break due to a muscular problem but he started Argentina’s World Cup qualifier against Bolivia earlier this week.

However, Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa are doubts, while both Harvey Elliott and Alisson Becker have been ruled out. Caoimhin Kelleher is ready to provide cover in goal.

Liverpool “will finish second”

Lawrenson also made a big claim about who will finish in the top three positions, suggesting that Slot’s team could finish runners-up, with Arsenal winning the title:

“I think Arsenal will win the league, by hook or by crook, and Liverpool will finish second. I’m not really sure what’ll happen with Man City as we don’t know what’s going on over there.”

The fact that Lawrenson doesn’t want to guess where City will finish is likely to do with the Premier League tribunal hearing, which could see them deducted points or even relegated. There is expected to be a verdict before the end of the year.

Find out who is in Liverpool’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here