Title challenges hang on certain moments, fortunes can be
reversed in one 90-minute war…Liverpool and Chelsea know it.
The problem is…so does Sir Alex Ferguson and co. You can picture
the scene as Mr Keys ends his broadcast on Sunday… “That’s all from
Anfield, on an afternoon when the real winners were Manchester
United.”
Liverpool and Chelsea simply cannot afford a draw, yet both
Anfield encounters last season ended 1-1. The Reds are also the
draw specialists, with seven in their last 10 matches.
However, for those of you who think ‘this one has got 0-0
written all over it…here’s a stat. The last time this fixture threw
up a scoreless draw was 37 years ago.
Liverpool, and Rafa Benitez more importantly, need to get back
to the formula that had Reds fans salivating as they destroyed
Chelsea’s 86-match unbeaten home record earlier in the season.
Xabi Alonso was the match-winner that day and it’s no surprise
that The Reds’ fortunes are spluttering as Benitez tinkers with the
Spanish metronome. Lucas Leiva is not yet cut out for the pressures
of a title challenge – Liverpool cannot afford to leave their
player of the season on the bench.
Liverpool need to dominate the midfield area, like they did at
Stamford Bridge. Javier Mascherano, Alonso and Steven Gerrard
should all play.
Facing them will be the most inform central midfield pairing in
the country. Michael Ballack has three goals in his last four,
Frank Lampard has six in his last eight.
Chelsea have an unexpected away hoodoo to break. Since winning
eight in a row on their travels, The Blues have failed to triumph
at Everton, Fulham and Manchester United.
If Luiz Felipe Scolari has any sense, Didier Drogba will
definitely face Liverpool. The big Ivorian has been the bully of
The Reds’ defence for years…Jamie Carragher has admitted he would
rather face Anelka.
Drogba’s presence would also provide an alternative to Chelsea’s
lack of width – a problem that was so blatantly obvious in the
Stamford Bridge encounter between these two sides.
Both teams cannot settle for anything less than victory this
weekend. Goals should be on offer, Chelsea have only kept one clean
sheet in 28 visits to the red half of Merseyside, but only twice
have they been stopped from scoring this season.
If Reds fans want a title omen, here it is. Liverpool’s last
league ‘double’ over Chelsea came back in 1989-90, the last time
they lifted the title.
PIVOTAL PLAYER: Xabi Alonso. Very simply,
if Rafa Benitez does not play him…Liverpool will not win.
