Liverpool vs Chelsea - What to expect at Anfield

Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard

England’s Blues and Reds will go head to head at Anfield this Sunday as an exciting Premier League season reaches its final three game weeks. Chelsea sits five points behind league leaders Liverpool, a gap that widened from just two points last week when the former fell to their first home defeat of the 2013-14 campaign at the hands of relegation threatened Sunderland.

The Momentum

When Steven Gerrard gathered his teammates for a huddle after their victory against Manchester City two weeks ago, it was the sign of a team that has grown and matured over the course of the season and now has its sights firmly set on the title. Having already met their pre-season target of securing a Champion’s League berth, Liverpool have shown a strong playing consistency of late, winning their last 11 Premier League matches. Last week’s win against relegation threatened Norwich also put the spotlight on Liverpool’s young talent Raheem Sterling who has garnered three goals and an assist in his last two games.

On the other hand, the injury bug has bitten Chelsea late this season. Tuesday’s goalless away draw with Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final might have been well earned but came at a price. Coach Jose Mourinho has lost key performers Petr Cech (dislocated shoulder) and John Terry (foot injury) for what appears to be the remainder of the season.

Reports in several magazines and newspapers over the last couple of days have stated that Mourinho has got the support of Chelsea’s top management in his decision to rest several of his usual playing XI. He clearly has one eye set on Wednesday night’s in Champions League semi-final home clash against Atletico Madrid.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers (L) has taken his team to the top of the table, while Jose Mourinho (R) still has chance to bag a double dose of silverware this season.

Chelsea fans can however revel in Mourinho’s record against top teams this season. Chelsea are undefeated against fellow title contenders Manchester City and Arsenal this season and will take some confidence from their 2-1 win against Liverpool in late December at Stanford Bridge.

Squad Predictions

Chelsea: The need to dig deep

Offensive star Eden Hazard didn’t train with the squad of ahead of the Blues’ first leg against Atletico. He is still recovering from a calf injury sustained in the quarterfinal clash against PSG two weeks ago. Even if he manages to regain fitness by Sunday, he will not be risked. Center back Gary Cahill, who has been an integral part of Chelsea’s defense this season, may be rested. With Terry out, Mourinho will not risk his other designated center back. Samuel Eto’o is still nursing a knee injury that forced him to miss the trip to Madrid and Mourinho will probably save the seasoned striker for Wednesday’s rematch.

Ashley Cole who has been a peripheral figure in Chelsea’s ongoing season (only 14 appearances in the Premier League out of a possible 36) will probably take up his left back position. John Obi Mikel and Frank Lampard are both suspended for the second leg after getting booked on Tuesday, and hence will feature at Anfield. They will be joined by Nemanja Matic and Mohamed Salah, both cup tied in the Champions League. Expect Demba Ba or Fernando Torres to play as the lone striker. 41-year Mark Schwarzer will come in as goalkeeper for Cech.

Liverpool: Raring to go

Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson will serve his second of a three match ban for a harsh foul on Samir Nasri in the clash with Manchester City. The young English midfielder has had a much improved season, starting all of Liverpool’s matches until his recent ban. Midfielder Victor Moses is also not eligible to play against his parent club.

Liverpool fans may be excited to hear encouraging medical reports regarding Daniel Sturridge. A mild hamstring injury forced him to miss the trip to Norwich last week but he may be fit in time for the Chelsea match, on the bench at least if not fit enough to start. The Reds medical staff have reported that it is not a severe hamstring problem and one week would be sufficient for healing.

Otherwise, one could expect an unchanged formation for Liverpool, with veteran Gerrard anchoring the midfield in a deep role and in- form Sterling and Phillippe Coutinho feeding passes to goal-scoring machine Luis Suarez.

Impact Players

Raheem Sterling ignited the Reds’ decisive victory over City with a brilliant early first half goal and will be an offensive threat for Chelsea. Defender Martin Skrtel has been lethal in set plays, having scored seven goals (most by a defender in the premier league this season) from headers.

Oscar may be the attacking man Chelsea need against Liverpool. Having not played in the midweek game, he is well rested and will look to add to his 8 goal tally (double of what he scored last season).

It is difficult to predict a scoreline for this match, with both Chelsea and Liverpool known to utilize counter-attacking strategy. Liverpool have the edge in terms of confidence and are expected to end up on top. Ultimately, the clash at Anfield will go a long way in determining who takes home the trophy this year. One can only wait and watch how it all plays out.