Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson believes Liverpool will secure the three points when they travel to face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge this weekend.

After seeing them draw 1-1 against Brighton midweek, Merson believes Thomas Tuchel’s side are not in good enough form to prevent the Reds from getting the win they need:

“If I’m going purely based on what I saw of Chelsea against Brighton, I can’t see anything but a Liverpool win. I was shocked by Chelsea’s performance last night – they were lethargic, slow and had nothing good to show after 90 minutes of football. Liverpool are also coming on the back of a damaging defeat in terms of the Premier League title race against Leicester City, but they were really good in the first half at the King Power and it could have been a different story had Mohamed Salah converted his penalty.”

“I believe both teams are already out of the Premier League title race, but it could be the final nail in the coffin for whoever loses this one. There’s really no point in a draw, as they need to close the gap at the top to stay in contention.”

Merson has gone with a 2-0 victory to Liverpool, which is a somewhat surprising prediction considering the pundit has been touting Chelsea for the title all season.

The Blues’ recent performances have been poor and, while injuries and a virus outbreak have undoubtedly hindered them, it is the same situation for Jurgen Klopp’s men and every other team in the Premier League.

Of course, as Merson points out, Liverpool will be heading into the match off the back of a poor result themselves, so there is no telling how they will react to such a setback. With a win vital to keep in touch with Manchester City, though, expect this one to be a lively affair.