Four points separate Liverpool from a top-five finish in the Premier League, and the window is narrowing. When the two sides meet at Anfield on Saturday, May 9, 2026 - kickoff at 12:30 PM BST - both clubs arrive carrying the weight of underperformed seasons and unresolved questions about where they will be playing next year. Liverpool sit fourth on 58 points from 35 outings; Chelsea occupy eighth, bruised from a 3-1 reversal against Nottingham Forest just five days earlier.
A Season of Disappointment on Both Sides
Liverpool's record of 17 wins, 7 draws, and 11 losses is a hard fall from the title-winning standards set the previous campaign. Arne Slot's side have taken just four wins from their last 12 Premier League outings, and captain Virgil van Dijk made the frustration public after a 3-2 home defeat to Manchester United on May 3, describing the season in blunt terms as "unacceptable." The most recent bright moment was a 3-1 win over Crystal Palace on April 25, but sustained consistency has eluded the squad all year.
Chelsea's situation carries its own particular edge. At one point during the current campaign, the club went five consecutive Premier League outings without scoring, conceding 11 goals across that stretch. The 3-1 defeat to Forest on May 4 extended what has become a deeply unsettled second half of the season. Yet Chelsea carry one psychological advantage into this fixture: they have won both of the league meetings between these two sides this season, a fact that compounds Liverpool's obligation to perform.
Key Absences That Will Shape the Encounter
Liverpool's attacking depth has been significantly compromised by injury. Mohamed Salah remains unavailable with a hamstring problem, and Hugo Ekitike is also ruled out. Alisson Becker has missed the last seven outings with a hamstring issue, leaving Giorgi Mamardashvili to continue between the posts. Florian Wirtz has carried Liverpool's creative burden in the absence of those players, with Cody Gakpo filling a broader forward role. Alexander Isak has returned to training and may be available. The expected lineup places Mamardashvili in goal, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson in the wide defensive positions, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch anchoring central midfield, and Wirtz operating just behind Gakpo.
Chelsea face a late fitness decision in goal after Robert Sanchez sustained a concussion in the Forest fixture. Pedro Neto and Alejandro Garnacho collected knocks in training but are expected to be fit. Reece James and Levi Colwill, both working back from injury, could feature. Cole Palmer remains Chelsea's principal creative and goal threat and is expected to start at Anfield.
What European Qualification Actually Means
The stakes extend well beyond a single result. A top-five finish in the Premier League now secures a place in UEFA competition the following season, which carries substantial financial and sporting consequences for clubs of this size. For Liverpool, who were title contenders just twelve months ago, falling outside Europe entirely would represent a significant institutional setback - one with implications for recruitment, commercial revenues, and the club's ability to retain key personnel. For Chelsea, eighth place is not yet safe from a continental perspective, and the points available in the remaining fixtures of the season are limited.
The fixture is broadcast live on TNT Sports via discovery+ in the United Kingdom, priced at £30.99 per month. In the United States, coverage is carried on Peacock, NBC, and USA Network from $10.99 per month. Australian viewers can access the broadcast on Stan Sport from AU$32 per month, with Fubo serving Canadian audiences from CA$31.49 monthly. German subscribers can watch on Sky Deutschland from €25 per month, Spanish viewers on DAZN from €9.99 monthly, and Netherlands-based audiences on Viaplay from €20 per month. The fixture also streams without charge on Idman TV in Azerbaijan, accessible at idmantv.az; viewers outside Azerbaijan require a VPN connected to an Azerbaijani server to access the stream.
How to Watch From Anywhere
For viewers traveling or residing outside their home country, a VPN allows access to whichever service they already subscribe to by routing the connection through a server in the broadcaster's home territory. The most reliable options for Premier League streaming are:
- NordVPN - strongest overall performance for streaming, with fast NordLynx protocol and confirmed access to TNT Sports, Peacock, Stan Sport, and Idman TV. Plans from $3.09 on a two-year subscription.
- Surfshark - most affordable entry point at $1.78 on a two-year plan, with unlimited simultaneous connections and 4,500+ servers across 100 countries.
- Proton VPN - best suited to privacy-conscious users; Switzerland-based, operating under strict data protection laws, with 20,000+ servers in 145 countries and a premium plan from $2.99.
TNT Sports, Peacock, Stan Sport, Fubo, and Idman TV are all accessible via web browser, iOS, and Android. Most also offer apps for major smart TV platforms, Fire TV Stick, Chromecast, and Apple TV. NordVPN and Surfshark provide native apps for Fire TV and Android TV, which simplifies setup considerably. For game consoles without native VPN support, casting from a mobile device or connecting via HDMI from a laptop remains the most practical workaround. The free Idman TV stream for the Liverpool vs Chelsea fixture begins at 1:30 PM local time in Baku.
