Eden Hazard and Emerson scored goals as Chelsea overcame a marker from ex-player Daniel Sturridge to beat Liverpool 2-1 at Anfield in League Cup play on Wednesday.
The two teams meet again on Saturday at Stamford Bridge (12:30 p.m. ET on NBC and online via NBCSports.com).
Both sides kept stars on the bench or off the 18, as Hazard and Liverpool star Mohamed Salah were used as substitutes. Roberto Firmino and N’Golo Kante also came off the bench, while Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, and Kepa Arrizabalaga were rested.
[ MORE: Full lineups, stats, box scores ]
Chelsea nearly gave away the farm in the 46th minute on a terrible back pass by Andreas Christensen.
Daniel Sturridge read it well and ran onto a 1v1 chance that Wily Caballero slapped to the side but still on the striker’s path. Sturridge couldn’t get his body around the shot and missed the wide open goal.
Alvaro Morata nearly nodded Willian’s cross into the Liverpool goal moments later.
Ross Barkley made a worse play than Christensen before him, but Caballero again rescued the Blues to keep it 0-0 in the 53rd.
Sturridge got his goal in the 59th minute, leaving his feet to thump a Naby Keita rebound past Caballero.
But Chelsea equalized through Emerson, who poked past Mignolet after the goalkeeper pushed Barkley’s header to the top of the six.
It didn’t take longer for Chelsea to go ahead through substitute Hazard, who started and finished an exceptional goal with, well, just scroll back up to the top of the page. Hazard cooks Alberto Moreno at the end, as the Liverpool man raises his hands to say, “At least I didn’t foul him.”