It's that time of the year when Red colides with Blue once again in what is destined to be a thrilling encounter! Added to this emotions are flying out over Rafa Bentiez and Fernando Torres return to merseyside as well as Daniel Sturridge playing against his former club, That's why we love the english premier league after all, for moments like this. Another curious twist comes in; When Benitez was making Liverpool the champions of Europe again in 2005, Brendan Rodgers was less than a year into his role as head of youth.... at Chelsea.
Liverpool come back from two disappointing Draws with West Ham united and Reading F.C and hoping for (ofcourse) 3pts. PFA POTY nominee Luis Suarez will be hoping to add to his 22 league goals and prove why he should win the award, and with 20yr old midfield Phillipe Coutinho proving to be a great buy, liverpool have just enough firepower to fend off the blues, if they take their chances that is. Chelsea will need to shut off the Gerrard - Suarez connection in order to cut liverpools game plan, because as we've seen before when Suarez is isolated liverpool don't play well.
Chelsea's squad will be boosted by the (possible) returns of Ashley Cole and Gary Cahill. Not much changes should be expected in the line up that beat Fulham except upfront where Demba Ba is expected to replace Torres due to Benitez' squad rotation policy. So Juan Mata, Hazard, Oscar, Ramirez and Lampard will fill the Chelsea midfield. Chelseas main threat will be Juan Mata (another POTY nominee) and Eden Hazard, Liverpool will have to make sure they shut them up in order to control the game.
As always, expect a truely entertaining game in merseyside tomorrow! One that might be the last Gerrard vs Lampard match we'l ever see, One you should feel guilty if you miss it.
Likely line ups
Liverpool(4-2-3-1):
----------Reina----------
Johnson----Carragher---Agger---Enrique
---Gerrard------Lucas----------
---Downing----Coutinho----Suarez----
--------Sturridge----------
Chelsea (Possible, 4-2-3-1):
--------------Cech--------------
Azpilicueta---Ivanovic----Luiz---Bertrand
-------Mikel----Ramires----------
-----Hazard-----Mata-------Oscar
------------Ba----------
Match Prediction:
Liverpool 3-2 Chelsea
Stat: In 69 league visits to Anfield, Chelsea have won just nine, while losing 46.
Other stats
- The Reds are four points and 19 goals better off than at this stage last season.
- Only Manchester City have kept more clean sheets this season than Liverpool's 13.
- Luis Suarez needs one goal to become the first Liverpool player to score 30 in a season in all competitions since Fernando Torres in 2007-08.
- Chelsea have five more points than at the same stage last season.
- They (Chelsea) ended a three-match losing streak in away fixtures by beating Fulham 3-0 in midweek.
- Frank Lampard made his 600th appearance for Chelsea in the midweek win over Fulham. He is two goals shy of Bobby Tambling's club record tally of 202.
