Today’s pre-match postbag is positively brimming with optimism from both sets of supporters. “We’ve got our projector thingymajig working, the neighbours are bustling around, the grill is on. The perfect set-up for the local Chelsea fan to be utterly humiliated. My daughter just asked me, in her best English: ‘Are your team still crap dad?’ I’m absolutely buzzing for this one” – Julian Menz

“Ha! Joke’s on you! I’m already fuming! I mean, I’ve been through pretty much every negative emotion at some point in this season, but right now I’ll settle on ‘furious’. The first half last week in particular was pathetic. I’m not Slot Out (yet); he showed last season that he’s an excellent coach. He consistently made good tactical decisions and in-game alterations. It’s laughable to dismiss his title win as ‘Klopp’s side’. He was a huge part of it. But something has to change. I don’t know how or what. I don’t know what the summer will hold. I just know I want this season to be over. Isn’t football great?” – Matt Dony

Arne Slot talks to TNT Sports. “A big opportunity … there are only three games to get four points [to be sure of Champions League qualification] so you have to take every opportunity there is … this is the first one … a home game against a very good team … we have to be really good off the ball … Chelsea are very comfortable on the ball and can play through you … quality players … that’s the way not to concede … if you want to win the game, as we want to, you need to be much more of an offensive threat from open play than we were last week against Man United … we had a lot of the ball but hardly could create a chance … we have to do better … [Rio Ngumoha] has played a lot … he has done really well … it is really nice to have him … but we are missing a lot of attacking threat today … all the goals Mo [Salah] has scored … Alex [Isak] is off the bench … Florian [Wirtz] is not available … Hugo [Ekitike] is not available … but the good thing is Rio is, Cody [Gakpo] is and Jeremie [Frimpong] is …Wirtz tried everything to be in it but has an infection in the stomach … he wasn’t feeling well during the week … things got worse and he wasn’t able to train.”

Both squads are depleted of first-team regulars, so depending how the game pans out, we could witness a Premier League debut or two this afternoon. Liverpool have striker Will Wright and defender Mor Talla Ndiaye, both 18, on the bench, alongside 19-year-old winger Kieran Morrison, while Chelsea could call on a couple of 17-year-old attackers in Ryan Kavuma‑McQueen and Mathis Eboue, the latter son of erstwhile Arsenal defender Emmanuel. Liverpool’s 18-year-old midfield prospect Trey Nyoni, with five Premier League appearances under his belt and 19 overall, seems a grizzled veteran by comparison.

The interim Chelsea boss Calum McFarlane speaks to TNT Sports. “We need to improve the performance from the Forest game … especially around setbacks and resilience and ability to react to moments that don’t go our way … I’d say that'd be the main thing … being honest and open … highlighting areas we need to improve … we’ve had to be creative with how we line the team up and make sure we have enough threat.”

Both teams have been all over the shop all season … but they can still salvage something from their disappointing campaigns. Should Liverpool win today, they’ll be on the verge of Champions League qualification; only Bournemouth could theoretically pip them, and if the Cherries fail to beat Fulham in today’s 3pms it’d be rubber-stamped. Chelsea by contrast can’t make the top five … and yet Europe is far from a pipe dream. A win in the FA Cup final would guarantee them Europa League football next season, while if they can make it to sixth spot, the Champions League would be on the cards if Aston Villa win the Europa League final and finish fifth (but only fifth). Don’t ask why, life’s too short.

Alexander Isak returns for Liverpool, but only as a named sub. The exciting 17-year-old winger Rio Ngumoha starts. Giorgi Mamardashvili is also back from injury and takes over from Freddie Woodman in goal. Florian Wirtz has a stomach bug and misses out altogether. And there’s still no Mohamed Salah, with time running out for the hamstrung living legend to make his Anfield curtain call. It’s Brentford in a fortnight’s time or bust.

Chelsea make a switch between the sticks too. Robert Sanchez picked up a head injury after colliding with Morgan Gibbs-White at Nottingham Forest and makes way for Filip Jorgensen. Should anything happen to the stand-in, the 21-year-old USA international Gaga Slonina will make his Chelsea debut. Levi Colwill makes his first start of the season after a long-term knee injury.