Chelsea v Liverpool
Liverpool are thirty-one points behind us in the Premiership and notoriously inconsistent on the road, but on their day they can probably beat anyone. This fact was highlighted by their dominance of Juventus at Anfield in the quarter-final first leg.
But their performances away from home have generally been poor. They have lost ten times as many Premiership away games as us to this point, and at times have looked utterly inept. Great wins over Arsenal and Juventus at home have been spoilt by embarrassing performances and losses away to Southampton, Birmingham and Crystal Palace.
The evidence in our favour is formidable. Compare our home form with Liverpool’s away form: if it were a one-off Premiership game we would triumph — again. To date we have narrowly beaten them three times this season — home and away in the Premiership, and in the League Cup final.
But logic would suggest that beating a team five times in one season is unlikely, although technically we only have to beat them four times. Can we put the tie beyond them tonight?
Jose Mourinho has a selection headache: does he start with Arjen Robben, who has only recently returned from serious injury, or continue with Joe Cole, whose form has been magnificent in Robben’s absence?
Some newspaper reports suggest that Damien Duff is struggling with a tight hamstring; if they prove correct, then Mourinho may be forced into playing Robben.
William Gallas trained yesterday and is thought to be fit enough to start after missing the victory over Fulham at the weekend.
Mikael Forssell played forty-five minutes for the reserves on Monday night and will be on the bench. Jiri Jarosik also played in that reserve game, but is cup-tied having played in the Champions League for CSKA Moscow earlier in the season.
Score prediction: Ignore the fact that many feel Liverpool are destined to reach the final; all the evidence suggests we’ll win tonight. We have won five of our last six matches against Liverpool; we’re unbeaten in our last ten European matches at The Bridge; and Liverpool’s away form this season is poor. With Robben back in the side a two or three nil victory isn’t beyond the realms of possibility.
Here’s something to ponder: Would victory over the two legs cement Steven Gerrard’s transfer to The Bridge?
Related links:
- Tactical masters fight for glory
- Premiership giants eye Euro glory
- Benitez, the calm and controlled master of strategy plotting Chelsea’s downfall
- All signs say Chelsea but are Liverpool on the road to destiny?
- Chelsea planning Robben gamble
- Chelsea told to play it cool as Mourinho relishes battle
- Chelsea under orders to keep their cool
- Encouraging Gallas to gallop forward may be Reds’ best bet
- When the puppet master is the star of the show
- Duff doubts are not enough to put Mourinho off his stride
- Ranieri backs Chelsea for glory
- Gerrard is my perfect partner says Lampard
- Treble-seeking Jose can’t blame fatigue if he fails to emulate Fagan
- Makelele admits Reds fears
- Duff injury gives Robben return
Chelsea 0 - 0 Liverpool · Match Reports
A frustrating ninety minutes… but nil-nil isn’t a bad scoreline to take to Anfield next Tuesday when considering the away goals rule.
Manchester United managed to hold us to a nil-nil in the League Cup, and we still prevailed at Old Trafford.
The Guardian, ESPNSoccernet, The Independent, ITV Football, BBC Sport, Official Chelsea FC Website, Daily Telegraph, The Times, Blue and White Army.
Related links:
- Wingless Chelsea fail to get off ground
- Reaction: Mourinho sees history repeating
- Mourinho fires Liverpool warning
- Liverpool able to draw on potent sense of history
- FA faces European dilemma
- Chelsea hit by battle fatigue
- No need to panic
- Gerrard shows a touch of unease amid Chelsea’s luxury surroundings
- Ranieri looks to second leg
- Future in balance for muted Gerrard
- Chelsea vs Liverpool: Advantage Chelsea
- Chelsea start to feel the pinch
- Liverpool rage at Gudjohnsen
- Mourinho banks on tired and trusted
- Duff and Robben in race to make Anfield trip
- Robben risks Jose’s wrath
- Mirror, mirror on the Stamford Bridge wall: Is ‘the Special One’ still on the ball?
- Chelsea deny Robben rift report
- Posted at 02:25 AM · Permalink · Print · 920 views · Last indexed by Google on the 17th May 2008
- Tags: Champions League, Matches
I fail to see where Gerrard will fit in now that the former “carthorseâ€? Eidur has been transformed into a very useful holding/attacking midfielder/playmaker, in much the same way as Mark Hughes but without the occasional rough tactics. With Maka, Lamps, Eidur, Cole, Robben, Duff, Jurassic, Tiago and Spotty Parker, its hard to see where he’ll fit. Although after Agent Kenyons “some will go this summer statementâ€? perhaps that array of stars is about to be trimmed. GJ
Totally agree with grocerjack. For me, Lamps + Maka is the perfect combination. Not Lamps + Gerrard because they are similar in too many aspects. Besides, Gerrard has totally gone off the boil recently. I agree we have to think about a long-term replacement for Maka, but we don’t need Gerrard next season. As Liverpool captain, his ego is too big to come to Chelsea to be a bit-part player. Unless Maka deteriorates dramatically, I would still stick with him as 1st choice next season.
0-0
Do I detect a slight loss of momentum. Are the players starting to show some tiredness? Liverpool played us like they did Juve, and we allowed them. Yes, we had chances, but so did they. I hope JM can lift the guys for Tuesday, but surely it would be better if we beat Bolton and put the Premiership to bed first? Wouldn’t that give them all a huge lift? GJ
Tiredness, we say that a lot. It means lots of things, mostly at a subconscious level. Like feeling you have worked hard and now can sit back. Notice that is not physical tiredness. More of a psychological mechanism that we will naturally fall into.