Chelsea
One Last Push: Liverpool Preview
By dixon9
February 8 2008
I’m not sure if this will be the last time we play Liverpool this season - we normally end up facing each other at least 4 times but in terms of line-ups this will not be a typical match with the scousers. Both teams have been suffering from injuries and absences – Liverpool more recently and Chelsea for quite some time now.
Despite the absences it really is a case of that last final push before we can get back to a “proper” full strength Chelsea side.
For Liverpool´s part, Benitez was quite enraged with regard to the supposed hamstring problem with Torres which occurred during international duty midweek. Some suspect that this could be a red herring but I would suggest the Spaniard deserves an Oscar if he’s lying – I can’t see Torres being risked with the possible consequences being a whole month out if the condition worsens.
Xabi is suspended and Mascherano will have only returned today after a gruelling flight back from South America.
Gerrard played a full 90 mins for England on Wednesday so a normally strong midfield may be heavy legged on the Stamford Bridge turf.
Agger is a key injury for them. The young Dane has been out for some time and the scousers tend to miss his turn of pace and reaction in the same way that we miss Carvalho´s if absent.
The Torres injury probably means a front 2 of Crouch and Kuyt although Benitez may typically put the accent on caution with a 4-5-1 with Crouch up front?
We have been playing with a stretched squad for some time now and have looked jaded by our standards during the 2nd half against Reading and Portsmouth.
Mikel at least has returned from Ghana but Drogba, Essien and Kalou still have commitments at the ACN.
I’ve no idea what’s happening with Sheva (Being saved for the CL match against Olympiakos?), Terry has resumed training but will be nowhere near ready for Sunday although surprisingly Lampard is tipped to feature at some point.
Ballack has been suffering with a dodgy calf so I’m guessing that the German will start and Lampard will come on at half-time or around 65 mins to replace him.
Joe Cole, Ashley Cole, Bridge and Wright-Phillips played for England midweek but none played the full 90 mins.
Carvalho comes back from suspension which is a relief – makes a change to have him available for a league game against the scousers.
With Mikel back and some tired legs in our squad I’m wondering if Grant will be tempted to go 4-1-4-1 instead of our usual 4-3-3 and use both the young Nigerian AND Makelele given Liverpool’s strong midfield? Hmmm…
I’m going to go for our usual 4-3-3:
Cech, Belletti, Carvalho, Alex, A Cole, Mikel, Ballack, J Cole (he may be benched and Grant will surprise us with Sidwell though), Wright-Phillips, Anelka and Malouda.
Prediction? A strange, disjointed game at first with a 2nd half much more to form – 3-1 to us. (Kuyt to score first, Anelka 2 and Malouda)
…Oh! And the usual dose of controversy!
Grant:
“He trained today, trained yesterday, he's feeling better but we will decide about this tomorrow. I think Lampard will be available for the weekend.”
'For us every player is coming back so it is good news. Even JT started training today…”
'Liverpool are a top club and it is never easy to play against them so I think it will be a difficult game, very difficult.
'When two clubs play together you always think of something from the past, but of course I don't have a problem with Liverpool (a reference to Mourinho´s relationship with Benitez there!) My only concern is that Chelsea succeed.'
Some stats purloined from the Official Chelsea site:
If the Blues win on Sunday then it will be four years since we last lost a league game at the Bridge.
We have now achieved 75 unbeaten league games at home and have far surpassed Liverpool's previous record of 63 games, something that Grant is proud of.
If Chelsea can win or draw on Sunday, the club will complete four years without a home league defeat, the remarkable unbeaten run is now up to 75 games, eclipsing the previous best of 63 notched by this weekend's visitors, Liverpool.
Seventeen years on, it is too early to say that Chelsea and Liverpool are ships passing in the night, but the Premier League pecking order has been redrawn in recent years.
By beating Manchester City in August 2006, the Blues overtook Liverpool in the all-time Premier League points table.
The list, compiled from results since the new league launched in August 1992, confirms that however far from the leading quartet Liverpool are at the moment, they should certainly still be called one of the Premier League's 'Big Four'.
Manchester United lead the table with 1,232 points from the 607 games played, ahead of Arsenal with 1,141. Chelsea are third in the list with 1,067 from 607 games going into this weekend, with Liverpool now 25 points behind on 1,042, but having played one game fewer (Newcastle are miles behind in fifth.).
We have won five more games than the Reds in the Premier League era and experienced 14 fewer defeats.
If Rafael Benítez's squad can be discounted from this season's title race again, it will be 18 years.
Kay also presided over Anfield's biggest ever gate for a league game, 58,757, on 27 December 1950. Liverpool's most attractive of visitors were actually Roy Bentley and the Chelsea boys. That's what I call history.
Benítez's haul against the other 'Big Four' clubs rose to six points out of a possible 45 this season following that draw, plus a similar result at home to Arsenal. The only side he has beaten in 15 league tests is a severely depleted Chelsea one, 0-2 at home last season.
If Torres is out, it will be something of a novelty to see another club missing their star players for a change. At long last the treatment room at Cobham is beginning to empty, and the African exodus is almost over. All of which soon presents Avram Grant with the novelty of having several candidates for most positions.
When Chelsea eased Liverpool 2-0 in the League Cup quarter-final last December, Mikel was suspended, Maka, John Terry, Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda injured. But Frank Lampard, Salomon Kalou, and Michael Essien were available and Andriy Shevchenko was showing good form.
We are looking to equal our club record 58 home games without defeat in all competitions set between February 2004 (Arsenal) and February 2006 (Barcelona).
Chelsea are unbeaten in 13 (11 wins and two draws) since our defeat at the Emirates before Christmas. Liverpool (together with Portsmouth) have the third best away record in the Premier League with 22 points behind Chelsea 26 and Arsenal 25 and have conceded the fewest goals - eight.
Since Liverpool's win at Derby on Boxing Day they have won seven points from a possible 18 points.
In 15 home Barclays Premier League meetings Chelsea have won 11, Liverpool have won one and there have been three draws.
Since 1989/90 when Liverpool won 5-2, Chelsea have lost only once at Stamford Bridge in all competitions against the Reds in 22 games.
Our Premier League record against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge is as follows:
1992/93 Drew 0-0
1993/94 Chelsea won 1-0
1994/95 Drew 0-0
1995/96 Drew 2-2
1996/97 Chelsea won 1-0
1997/98 Chelsea won 4-1
1998/99 Chelsea won 2-1
1999/00 Chelsea won 2-0
2000/01 Chelsea won 3-0
2001/02 Chelsea won 4-0
2002/03 Chelsea won 2-1
2003/04 Liverpool won 1-0
2004/05 Chelsea won 1-0
2005/06 Chelsea won 2-0
2006/07 Chelsea won 1-0
Frank Lampard is a goal away from becoming Chelsea's eighth centurion in goals. He currently has 99 for the club in six and a half years since joining from West Ham in June 2001.
Michael Ballack, if selected will be making his 50th start in a blue shirt.
Chelsea have Joe Cole, Frank Lampard and John Terry one yellow card away from a one match ban for reaching five bookings. They will miss the Carling Cup Final on February 24th if they receive a caution against Liverpool.
Chelsea's overall record against Liverpool in all competitions is: played 149, won 52, drawn 30, lost 67
Head to head in the league at Stamford Bridge: played 64, won 36, drawn 13, lost 15.
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
As an Arsenal fan I'd suggest he doesn't know his @#$%& from his elbow..
dixon9 the cyber equivilent of laxative..
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
in alphabetical order:
Arsenal P3 W0 D0 L3
Chelsea P3 W0 D0 L3
Man Utd P3 W0 D0 L3
HAVE YOU EVER SEEN GERARRD WIN THE LEAGUE?
Don't Gamble, Bet Risk Free
Don´t want to curse it though!
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
![[:wor kid:]](/phorum-5.1.15/mods/smileys/images/13.gif "[:wor kid:]")
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
COME ON ROVERS, COME ON ROVERS
Don't Gamble, Bet Risk Free
Part of me wanted you to win just to put more pressure on man utd, but 0-0 is fine.
The fat lady hasn´t even warmed up yet.
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
Im very very confident we'll win the title, but nothings won in february.
We´d have to win practically every league game and we have to strat thrashing the odd team to up our goal difference which isn´t that hot at the moment.
You´ve got some awkward aways of course (us, the mancs, Liverpool...) but the league is yours to lose now.
It would also be silly for you to discount the mancs of course who are closer to you than we are.
Still, we are approaching the real "men from boys" part of the season where CL and cup games start converging with the league games.
We can take heart that we will have key players back at last now - but maybe our name is on old big ears this season.
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2008:02:12:04:14:33 by dixon9.
Im not writing off utd, not even chelsea.
if we win against ac milan and utd in the cups then im hoping for the treble. no harm in hoping
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"It is born out of hypocrisy and fundamental insecurity. There have been two kids on the block for the past 12 years. Suddenly, there is a third and that one is threatening to be more successful than the others and they don’t like it." P Kenyon.
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