“Turns into Messi whenever he sees Liverpool”

Chelsea fans are in disbelief after finding out that Romeo Lavia has not been included in their starting XI to face Liverpool at Anfield. The 22-year-old started in each of the last two Premier League games but interim coach Calum McFarlane has dropped him to the bench this evening.

The Blues have lost six straight games in the Premier League and will be desperate to avoid another loss. Their opponents, Liverpool, will also be hoping to bounce back after losing 3-2 against rivals Manchester United last weekend.

Fans have opined that Lavia, who came on as a substitute during the Blues’ win over Liverpool in the reverse fixture, always performs well against the Reds. He also rejected an approach from Liverpool to join the west London club in 2023.

Expressing their frustration in the decision to drop Lavia to the bench, one Chelsea fan wrote on X:

“Why not start Lavia that turns into Messi whenever he sees Liverpool. Santos and Caciedo pair has never worked.”

Several others also questioned the decision from McFarlane, with another user saying:

“Against his favorite team and all you do is to bench him?”

@rialisticdan stated:

“Lavia always win for us against Liverpool”

Chelsea have made six changes to their starting line-up from the 3-1 loss to Nottingham Forest on Monday. Goalkeeper Robert Sanchez misses out due to his injury, while both Tosin Adarabioyo and Nathaniel Chalobah drop to the bench.

McFarlane has welcomed Levi Colwill back into the line-up after an extended time out due to injury, and he partners Wesley Fofana in defence. Jorrel Hato also finds himself a place in the line-up, which could mean that the visitors deploy a back-three against Liverpool.

Andrey Santos replaces Lavia in midfield, while Enzo Fernandez, Cole Palmer, Moises Caicedo, Joao Pedro, Marc Cucurella and Malo Gusto all retain their places in the squad.

Chelsea facing serious risk of having no European football next season

Ahead of their clash against Liverpool, Chelsea are ninth in the table with 48 points. If Aston Villa finish fifth in the Premier League and win the Europa League, which is a realistic possibility, six teams from England will play the Champions League next season.

The Blues are currently just four points adrift of Bournemouth in sixth. However, with just three games left, as many as six teams are in the battle for what could be the final Champions League qualification spot.

Another loss would put Chelsea further behind in the race and if teams like Brighton, Fulham and Everton win this weekend, the Blues could struggle to finish in the top half, let alone qualify for any European competition.