What: English Premier League
Who: Liverpool vs Chelsea
When: Sunday 21st April, 2013, at 16:00 UK Time
Where: Anfield, Liverpool, England
Local Bragging Rights Hope for Liverpool
It has been a strange and underwhelming April for Liverpool. They have had more shots than any other team in the Premier League yet scored precisely zero times. Indeed if there was an award for the team who produced the most shots without managing to actually find the net, Liverpool would surely take it. Successive 0-0 draws with West Ham and Reading have confirmed what was already suspected – that a vain late charge for a top four spot will fall short. Now, the target is catching and overtaking Everton, and finishing the season on a high – although Brendan Rodgers has mooted the idea that missing out on Europe entirely may be a better result for the Reds than qualifying for the Europa League.
The positive side to two goalless draws in a row has to be that the odds of making it three without finding the net have to be extremely low, particularly when creating chances for Luis Suarez. And Philippe Coutinho too .The Brazilian is increasingly impressive for the Merseyside giants, showcasing the kind of Brazilian flair that makes so many from overseas fall in love with the Selecao.
There is little love lost between these two teams and Liverpool will be eager to show that they have learned how to beat the teams at the top of the table. The Anfield outfit have not taken as many points from their games against the top six as they should have given the balance of play in some of the games against those sides. Chelsea offer the chance for them to prove a point to themselves and lay a marker for next season.
Rafael Benitez Returns to Anfield
Rafael Benitez finally gets his long awaited return to Anfield in this game and will be in the unique position of expecting to receive a better reception from the opposition fans than his own. If anything sums up the strange politics of Chelsea Football Club, surely that fact is it.
All in all it has been a strange season for Chelsea and it now enters its final decisive weeks. They come into this game having won 3-0 at local rivals Fulham, but that result should not mask the possession the Cottagers enjoyed. A more potent team going forward may have punished them, although Liverpool’s tendency to make and then miss chances may therefore be ideal.
Chelsea have a tendency to find crucial goals and wins out of nothing, and that is what they must hope fires them into the top four. But poor collective showings have been covered up recently by individual brilliance – such as David Luiz’s remarkable strike at Fulham in the week – and sheer fortune, as against Sunderland when outrageous deflections won them the game. But Benitez’s team cannot merely rely on the gods of fortune in the weeks ahead. They have been losing tricky away games against teams like Southampton, Manchester City and Newcastle, and often throwing away winning positions. Having started the season with a commanding lead over Tottenham and Arsenal, they are now level with both, and there is a danger that just like last season, they will be overtaken in the final weeks by the North London duo.
Recent form
Liverpool:
Aston Villa 1-2 Liverpool (31/03; Premier League)
Liverpool 0-0 West Ham (06/04; Premier League)
Reading 0-0 Liverpool (13/04; Premier League)
Chelsea:
Rubin Kazan 3-2 Chelsea (11/04; Europa League)
Manchester City 2-1 Chelsea (14/04; FA Cup)
Fulham 0-3 Chelsea (17/04; Premier League)
Key absences
Liverpool: Marin Kelly; Fabio Borini; Joe Allen; Raheem Sterling
Chelsea: Ashley Cole (doubt); Gary Cahill; Oriol Romeu; Marko Marin
Players to watch
Liverpool – Philippe Coutinho: Luis Suarez is the obvious danger for Liverpool, but Coutinho may well be decisive in this game. John Obi Mikel has a tendency to look slow and ponderous, and the lively and skilful Brazilian has the attributes to expose that weakness at the back of Chelsea’s midfield. Coutinho has shown much promise in his first few months in English football, displaying genuine Brazilian flair, and linking up well with Suarez. This South American tandem has the potential to carry Liverpool forward in the weeks and years ahead.
Chelsea – Fernando Torres: Of course it is not just Benitez returning to Anfield but Torres too. The Spanish forward, who has endured such a miserable time in London since arriving, may be forgiven for reminiscing about when he was plying his trade in Liverpool red under the guidance of Benitez. Liverpool fans may do likewise. But Torres, for all his struggles at Stamford Bridge, remains a player of class who can still effect games at the highest level, even if his consistency is not quite what it was. Is he destined to repay some of Roman Abramovich’s faith against his former club?
Match Prediction
Chelsea have shown this season that up against teams who press them high and are confident in possession, they can be rattled. That is what happened against Manchester City in the league, against Southampton and even to an extent at Fulham, only the home team had no cutting edge. Liverpool, with their emphasis on short passing and a high intensity attacking game, should be able to dominate possession and territory.
Having missed so many chances in recent games, it is hard to imagine Brendan Rodgers’ team will fail to find the target again and Chelsea have not won against Liverpool in their last five meetings. For the visitors the form of Juan Mata will be key, his performances have really driven them forward for most of the season. But there is an underlying fragility about Chelsea. The defence and midfield often looks disjointed and that is something Liverpool’s pacey attack can take advantage of. Daniel Sturridge may face his former club this weekend and he will be fired up to make a point.
Much will depend on just how clinical Liverpool are in this game. They are sure to have chances, and if they take them, they can secure an impressive win. But Rodgers’ team have not shone against the top sides this season and there is a reason for that. Chelsea are the type of team who punish a side that does not make the most of their possession, and so Liverpool may have to settle for a share of the spoils here. Liverpool 1-1 Chelsea.
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