Jamie Redknapp has sent a warning to Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku ahead of today’s mouth-watering clash between Liverpool and the Blues.
Chelsea’s visit to Anfield is the first of the Premier League fixtures this season which sees two of the genuine title contenders going head-to-head.
Both teams come into this one on the back of back-to-back wins to kick off the season, Liverpool defeating Norwich City and Burnley, while Thomas Tuchel’s men have seen off Crystal Palace and Arsenal.
In the second of those games, £97.5million signing Lukaku stood out, making easy work of Arsenal as he scored his first goal since his Stamford Bridge return and played a role in the second.
But as Lukaku prepares to face Liverpool later on today, Sky Sports pundit and former Reds midfielder Redknapp has warned he will face a very different challenge against Virgil van Dijk and the experienced Joel Matip.
“I can’t wait for this game. It feels like the biggest blockbuster of the season,” he told Sky Sports.
“Liverpool have had a 100 per cent start but they haven’t been tested yet.
“I can’t wait to see the individual match-ups in the game, especially Virgil van Dijk against Romelu Lukaku.
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“Chelsea were exceptional against Arsenal, make no mistake about it, but Arsenal were so poor.
“We talked about it being an amazing performance by Lukaku but he just bullied the two centre-backs against him. They couldn’t handle it and I think any decent centre-forward would have done the same.
“It’s going to be totally different at the weekend against Virgil and Joel Matip and I can’t wait to see how that pans out.”
Virgil van Dijk is too strong and too fast for Lukaku. But there’s other battles on the field. I want to see Mane back to form.
Lukaku now a beast he ‘ll bully the Reds’ defence
stop dreaming.. nowhere to run