Gary Neville warns Chelsea star that Liverpool will ‘test him’ in Anfield clash | Football
Gary Neville has warned Chelsea’s best player Cole Palmer that he will be targeted when the Blues travel to Anfield to face Liverpool on October 20.
Palmer has been in remarkable form this season, conjuring up six goals and five assists across his opening seven Premier League games for the west Londoners after his record-breaking debut campaign last term.
He’ll be looking to continue that trend in Chelsea’s next top-flight match after the international break but Neville feels Liverpool could ‘bully’ Enzo Maresca’s side.
Speaking ahead of the match, Neville told NBC Sports: ‘I always think that Anfield is the toughest place to get space.
‘And you think about how Cole Palmer plays, and the way he always looks like he’s got time on the ball, it’ll be interesting to see how he does at Anfield and how Liverpool will attend to him.
‘[They will] be really aggressive against him and test him. They won’t want to let him have any joy in the game and encouragement early on.
‘Anfield can be a place where you can get bullied a little bit, off the crowd, the atmosphere. I’ll be a test for them.’
Speaking more generally about the match, Neville added that it was a ‘big challenge’ for Chelsea after their impressive start to the season.
Chelsea currently sit fourth in the table after their opening seven fixtures, four points behind early league leaders Liverpool.
‘Just how Chelsea handle Anfield… Obviously it’s another big game for Arne Slot, so again, a further test for Liverpool coming off the back of the internationals,’ Neville said.
‘I always remember when I went to Anfield [as a player], I think it’s the toughest place to go.
‘And I think for a Chelsea team under Maresca, it’s a real challenge for them. And it will be interesting to see how they fare in that.’
The showdown on October 20 will be the first battle between Chelsea and Liverpool since last season’s Carabao Cup final, which the Reds won 1-0.