On Sky
Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea for the FOURTH time this season.
The sides have already met three times due to being drawn in the same Champions League group earlier this season. Of the three games, two of them have been 0-0 draws and one of them a 1-4 defeat.
Liverpool will be out for revenge after losing our home league game by 4 goals to 1, it’s also vital to get this victory to stay in touch at the top of the league. The Reds are currently 18 points behind leaders Chelsea but have two games in hand.
Win these 2 games and beat Chelsea here today and the gap is reduced to 9 and Pool will be breathing down Chelsea’s neck. Losing this game would see us 21 points behind and even with the two games in hand you’d have to concede that it’s all over and the best we can hope for is second place so it’s a real six pointer in that respect.
The last few league games between the sides at Stamford Bridge have been low scoring affairs with only one goal seperating the teams. The last meeting between the two sides in the league at Stamford Bridge was back in October 2004, that game ended 1-0 to Chelsea.
Earlier in 2004 there was only one goal in it again but this time it was Liverpool who got the three points and the season before that there was three goals this time and a 2-1 victory for Chelsea.
The sensible money would have to be on another low scoring game, possibly another 0-0 but both teams have players who can create goals so anything is possible. The Liverpool fans would like to see a reverse of the 4-1 scoreline that we suffered earlier in the season but the odds of that are quite high at 100/1 so you’d have to be a brave person to bet on that.
Chelsea are favourites to win the game at 8/11 on, Liverpool are 7/2 with the draw at 21/10.
If you fancy a flutter on first scorer then you could go for Djibril Cisse, Steven Gerrard or Robbie Fowler at 9/1. Chelsea’s Hernan Crespo is favourite to score first with odds of 5/1.
If you can’t make it to the game then get down to your local boozer or get the carry out in the fridge and settle down on your favourite arm chair to take in the game which is live on Sky Sports.
Robbie Fowler for the winner anyone?
Vital Quotes:
Robbie Fowler on his new team mates: ‘The obvious target for me is just to do well for the team and if I score any amount of goals then great. If I can help this team to be successful then even better. That is the main aim, for Liverpool to be successful. I’m confident in what I can do and I think with this team anything is possible.’
Rafael Benitez comparing Steven Gerrard to Frank Lampard: ‘I don’t know how important Lampard is for Mourinho, but Gerrard is the key for us. People compare the two players and they say that Lampard scores more goals and he plays more games, but to score 17 goals for a team like Liverpool that scores far less than Chelsea, that shows Gerrard really is the key player.’
Chelsea Team News:
Carlton Cole is a doubt due to a groin injury and Paulo Ferreira still has a thigh problem.
Michael Essien is also struggling with an ankle injury and Didier Drogba and Geremi are on international duty at the African Nations Cup.
Chelsea team from:
Cech, Cudicini, Johnson, del Horno, Gallas, Terry, Carvalho, Huth, Lampard, Makelele, Gudjohnsen, Maniche, J Cole, Robben, Duff, Crespo, Diarra, Wright-Phillips, Pidgeley.
Player to watch: Frank Lampard
Class act in midfield and always a goal threat.
Liverpool Team News:
Liverpool will be able to call on Jamie Carragher, Mohamed Sissoko and Xabi Alonso for today’s game.
Robbie Fowler could start the game as Peter Crouch and Djibril Cisse have being firing blanks in the last few weeks.
Liverpool team from:
Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Warnock, Riise, Traore, Luis Garcia, Gerrard, Hamann, Alonso, Sissoko, Kewell, Crouch, Cisse, Morientes, Fowler, Carson, Dudek, Kromkamp.
Player to watch: Robbie Fowler
Hopefully he can get the goals that Liverpool badly need.
Match Facts & Stats
Liverpool facts:
* Won six of the last nine in League and Cup.
* Lost one of the last 14 Premiership matches, and just three of 22 all season.
* Failed to score in one of the last 14 top flight engagements since mid October.
* Gone 18 Premiership matches since a goalless draw (home to Manchester United on 18 September).
* Completed 14 top League contests since losing by more than a single goal (2-0 at Fulham on 22 October).
* Dropped 21 points – Chelsea are the only club to have dropped fewer (nine).
* Conceded 13 Premiership goals, as have Chelsea. No club has leaked fewer.
* Kept the highest number of clean sheets in the top League (15).
* Conceded the opening goal in highest League games less often than any other club (in four, to Chelsea, Fulham, Bolton and Manchester United).
* Playing their 41st game of the season – no Premiership club has played more, although Manchester United also play their 41st this weekend.
* Premiership matches involving Liverpool have yielded fewer goals than any other club – just 43 (30 for, 13 against).
* Fourth on the Premiership’s ‘Last Six Current Form’ table with 11 points from a possible 18.
* The Merseysiders accrued 42 points after 22 games in 1996/97 – their previous highest mark to this stage of a Premiership season, when finishing fourth. Their previous best after the first 23 outings of a Premier League campaign was 45 in 1994/95, when also finishing fourth.
* Lost only to Fulham and Manchester United in League games away from home this season.
Ref Watch:
Alan Wiley (Burntwood, Staffordshire).
Match Prediction:
0-0.
Next Fixtures:
v Charlton (a), Wed 8.2.2006, Premiership.