Preview: Liverpool vs Chelsea

Liverpool will be looking for their third Premier League win on on Sunday as they welcome league leaders Chelsea to Anfield.

Having beaten Blackburn and scraped past Bolton in their previous outings, the mood around Merseyside has been lifted somewhat ahead of a titanic battle between two teams whose rivalry has not been lessened by the gulf in their fortunes.

Liverpool sit 13 points behind Chelsea after 10 games; closer to the relegation zone than the top spot. However, a win could propel them out of the bottom half and into contention for Europe. A win, though, is a tough ask against a Chelsea juggernaut that has looked unstoppable this season.

Roy Hodgson will welcome back his big guns for this encounter, including skipper Steven Gerrard who was summoned to save his side against Napoli on Thursday. Fernando Torres will also return along with Maxi Rodriguez and Lucas Leiva. Dirk Kuyt could be fit enough to earn a recall, although it is likely to be on the bench if at all.

Chelsea were handed a fitness boost in the form of Florent Malouda’s early return from injury, but Frank Lampard will again be missing as he continues his recuperation from a groin problem. Michael Essien is expected to shake off a minor toe complaint while Yossi Benayoun misses out against his former club after suffering a torn Achilles tendon.

If this battle were to be fought on paper Liverpool would surely be torn to shreds. Roy Hodgson will know that his side are outclassed by their opponents in almost every department and will therefore have to rely on the kind of grit determination and heart shown by Steven Gerrard earlier in the week.

5 years ago Chelsea came to Anfield and left with both points and pride after thrashing us 4-1 in our own back yard. Since then the Blues have continued to go from strength to strength but looking at our own team 5 years on, it is arguable whether we have gone anywhere at all.

With Ancelotti’s side bang in form and Liverpool as vulnerable as they’ve ever been at present there is a real possibility of another embarrassment on home turf in this fixture. The only way this will be avoided is if every single player gives their absolute all from the minute they cross the threshold into battle to the second that the full-time whistle resounds around Anfield.