Venue: Anfield
Date: Sunday, 1 February
Kick-off: 1600 GMT
Today sees our first game against Liverpool since they ended our four and a half year unbeaten run at home in the league. Now though, it’s them defending an unbeaten run at home and with us playing catch-up with United, we need to turn the tables. We’ve managed just 11 points from the last 18 and that’s not good enough form to compete with United who are on their customary post-Christmas run. Fortunately, Liverpool have been marginally worse than us, with 10 points from 18 and haven’t actually won since Rafa’s now infamous rant.
However, whilst some might suggest Rafa’s lost his bottle, he continues to try to convince everyone (including himself) this isn’t the case, saying “We are eight points better off at this stage than last season. We are very positive and if we can beat Chelsea everybody will be talking in a different way about us. We are in our best position for the last 10-15 years. So we have to enjoy it and try to keep doing our best. There is no extra pressure on me. I can guarantee that I have not read a newspaper, listened to radio or watched TV since the Wigan game. I spent Thursday enjoying some time off with my family because I knew there would be a lot of people trying to talk about things they do not know about.”
The goatee’d one also seems pretty confident he’ll be hitting the headlines for all the right reasons after this game, stating “We showed character and quality to beat them earlier in the season, and we showed the same things in beating Manchester United here. Now if we can continue to show those qualities and beat Chelsea again, maybe we will be in the headlines for something positive. It has always been important to beat sides who are at the top, but maybe this year even more because we are very close to them. We are closer. Last season we were 14 points behind at this stage, but now it is different.”
Scolari, on the other hand, whilst suggesting we’ve been in slightly better form lately, seems a little more diplomatic regarding any assault on the opposition, stating “It’s a game that, maybe, will decide the direction to be champions if we win. It’ll put us in front of Liverpool or behind, near Manchester or not. How much will it damage us if we lose? 100 per cent because we’ll lose three points. It’s a fantastic game and I think, if we create three or four chances and we score some goals, we’ll have a good chance. Before the Middlesbrough game we were under pressure, in fourth position and Aston Villa had won. Now we are in second position and for our confidence it is very good. We know we are behind Manchester and together with Liverpool, we are not better than these two teams. But we played better than before in the last five games, scored more and have shown more heart in the games.”
On the squad front for Liverpool, Xabi Alonso, Dirk Kuyt and Albert Riera all started on the bench midweek although are expected to start today. Likewise Stevie Me and Fernando Torres who were both given a bit of a rest towards the end of their draw against Wigan.
For Chelsea, Michael Essien and Joe Cole remain long-term absentees, with Ricardo Carvalho missing out again with a hamstring injury.
CLUB FORM
LIVERPOOL
Liverpool are unbeaten in 12 in the Premier League although 7 of the last 10 have been drawn. They’re unbeaten at Anfield in the league this season and have kept clean sheets in 6 of the last nine at home in the league. Worse than that, they’re now unbeaten in 22 league games at Anfield, and have avoided defeat in 22 out of 23 games in the league this term. The news doesn’t get any better for us either, because they haven’t lost to a ‘Big Four’ club this season. They go into this game 3 points better off than their previous Premier League best and level on points with us.
CHELSEA
We’ve won our last four games in all competitions, losing one from our last eight in the league. The defeat to United in our last league game away, was our first in 21 away games. Unlike Liverpool, we’ve managed just one point from four games against our ‘Big Four’ rivals so far and we’re in danger of consecutive defeats in the North-West. We go into the game two points worse off than this time last season and joint second with Liverpool in the league.
KEY PLAYERS
LIVERPOOL
Steven Gerrard – taken off late in the game against Wigan, and no doubt wrapped in cotton wool ever since, Stevie Me will be raring to go against us. Fortunately for the scousers, he does better against Lampard than he does with him, and he’s bound to feature highly in this game.
CHELSEA
Frank Lampard – Just like his counterpart in the Liverpool midfield, Lampard will be looking to show who’s dominancy counts and better be on form for this one.
HEAD TO HEAD
Since the beginning of the 2004-05 season we’ve endured 22 games against Liverpool, winning nine, losing six and drawing six. This game sees us looking for our fourth win at Anfield from six in the Premier League whilst Liverpool will be after their first Premier League double over us. Their last double over us came in the 1989-90 season.
Home and Away
League (inc PL): Liverpool 59 wins, Chelsea 44 wins, Draws 28
Prem: Liverpool 12 wins, Chelsea 14 wins, Draws 7
At Liverpool Only:
League (inc PL): Liverpool 43 wins, Chelsea 8 wins, Draws 14
Prem: Liverpool 10 wins, Chelsea 3 wins, Draws 3
LAST SEASON
Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea
Liverpool scorer: Torres 16
Chelsea scorer: Lampard 62 pen
19 August 2007 – Ref: Rob Styles
THIS SEASON’S REVERSE
Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool
Liverpool scorer: Alonso 10
26 October 2008 – Ref: Howard Webb
PREDICTION
We haven’t looked like we’ve fancied any of the ‘big games’ this season and to be honest, for the most part, we’ve even struggled in the not so big games. Mourinho might have had the tactical nous when it came to ruffling Rafa’s feathers but Scolari hasn’t shown he can handle any of the big clubs so far and was found woefully lacking at Old Trafford. I can’t see him doing any better when it comes to Anfield either unfortunately. With Liverpool turning into the Premier League’s draw specialists this season, I honestly think a bore-draw is the best we can hope for – and I don’t even want to think about what the worst result could be.
TEAMS
LIVERPOOL (from): Reina, Arbeloa, Skrtel, Agger, Hyypia, Carragher, Dossena, Aurelio, Benayoun, Babel, Alonso, Mascherano, Lucas, Gerrard, Riera, Torres, Kuyt, Keane, Cavalieri.
CHELSEA (from): Cech, Hilario, Taylor, Ferreira, Bosingwa, Terry, Alex, Ivanovic, Mancienne, A Cole, Lampard, Ballack, Mikel, Belletti, Deco, Kalou, Malouda, Stoch, Drogba, Anelka.
REFEREE
Mike Riley (Leeds)
Blue is the colour
