PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V LIVERPOOL

The most familiar of foes are back in town this weekend, needing to go against recent history to pull clear at the top. Chelsea club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton prepare.

TALKING POINTS
This encounter brings together the only two sides among the 92 league clubs yet to taste defeat in any competition.

Much has been made in the media of Liverpool's enhanced credentials for a title tilt this season. The theory touted is that their series of late comebacks that have led to victories displays the spirit required to go all the way.

Last season, it is said, these were the kind of matches Benitez's men would have lost or drawn. The facts, though, paint a less impressive picture.

Last season Liverpool finished 11 points adrift of champions Man United, and nine behind Chelsea. At this stage they had accrued 16 points from eight games, having drawn half the matches - three home and one away. This season's total is a much improved 20, including two draws.

KEY STAT If there was a half time Premier League table, Liverpool would be 17th with six points, one ahead of Tottenham.

The four comebacks this campaign, three on home soil, have made a difference. Middlesbrough took the lead on Merseyside on 70 minutes, but Pogatetz deflected into his own net, and Steven Gerrard scored in injury time to turn the game on its head.

Liverpool conceded after three minutes against United, again at Anfield, but an own goal, a Vidic sending-off and Ryan Babel's second half strike earned the points. At Manchester City the Reds were two down at half-time, after which Pablo Zabaleta's dismissal turned the game, and the Scousers snatched a 3-2 win, again in the 90th-minute.

Most recently Wigan led 1-0 and 2-1 at Anfield, before Valencia was sent off and two goals in the last ten minutes brought the points Liverpool's way.

So four of Liverpool's six wins have come in this fashion; in two of the six they have benefited from own goals, and in half of them an opponent has been sent off. Creditable though the comebacks have been, they do appear to have involved an unusual alignment of events.

And once the euphoria has gone, the fact remains that Liverpool have started letting more first goals in, especially at Anfield. After the first eight games of last season, Liverpool had conceded only four times; this year it is six.

Last season they did not go behind in any Premier League game until trailing 1-2 to Spurs in the eighth match last season, and did not concede the first goal in any league game until game nine at Everton. This season they have conceded the first goal four times already.

Typically, that Everton comeback was an eventful one. The deadlock was broken by a Hyypia own goal, and the revival came after Hibbert had been sent off. Dirk Kuyt converted two penalties in a 2-1 win.

There were no claims then that this was the form of champions. In fact, a few weeks after the Everton turnaround, Reds fans had to march on the ground in support of their beleaguered manager.

Tellingly, Rafa Benitez is not one of those going overboard about the comebacks and their implications for a first Liverpool title win since 1990. Going a goal behind regularly can't make life on the bench very relaxing. 'You will have to ask my doctor,' the Spaniard joked recently, 'exactly how much stress I am being put under.'

Nearly all of Chelsea's rare opportunities to score on Wednesday at home to Roma came from set-pieces. With a little better fortune Frank Lampard might have scored from the free kick that Doni watched hit the bar. Analyse the goal, brilliantly dispatched by John Terry from Frank's probing corner kick, and it is obvious Roma were outwitted and undone.

JT and Juliano Belletti had a quick chat, and the Brazilian midfielder stood in front of his skipper, a buffer between him and two Roma markers. As the ball came in, Belletti made as if to push straight forward into the box through the two Italians, who were momentarily distracted from John Terry's diagonal run to the near post.

Belletti's decoy was enough for JT to elude Mexès and steer the header home expertly - a finish reminiscent of his legendary winner against Barcelona in 2005. It illustrated the value of training exercises, of course, but also the subtle contribution the Brazilian midfielder can make, when he's not banging them in from 35 yards.

Little wonder cult figure Juliano Belletti now has his own chant, his name scanning neatly over the White Stripes' guitar riff from 2003 tune 'Seven Nation Army'. It's quite a good time for new songs in the stands.

First Florent Malouda's name was set to 'Follow The Leader' by Trinidadian soca star Nigel Lewis (recently reissued on the 'Chronicles of Nigel Lewis' CD), and then came the Salomon Kalou song, loosely rooted in the old American Civil Way ballad 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home'.

The Kalou version arose because of a popular and very important 'assist' by him and, considering the words, it may well get an airing on Sunday: 'He crossed the ball, from the left. It landed right on Riise's head. And that's why we love Salomon Kalou.'

John Terry has the (occasional) killer touch. His winner against stoical Roma on Wednesday was the seventh time he has scored the only goal in a Chelsea match. It was his first goal at Stamford Bridge since the opener in the 3-0 defeat of Manchester City in August 2006.

Liverpool's hard-earned draw against Atlético in Madrid left Barcelona as the only Champions League team with a 100 per cent record in the tournament. The Reds, like Chelsea and Barça, are all well set to qualify for the knockout phase.

Chelsea's current 29-game unbeaten run is the longest in the Premier League. Liverpool are next best on 15 without loss.

By the time this game kicks off, Hull City may have closed the gap to a matter of goal difference, but it will still be a contest between England's top two.

In Hull's corresponding fixture last season, in the Championship, the Tigers beat West Brom 2-1 at the Hawthorns.

Everton last beat Manchester United at Goodison back in April 2005. Gary Neville and Paul Scholes were sent off in that match, in which Duncan Ferguson scored the only goal. West Ham have taken points off the Wenger boys at Upton Park in four of the last five seasons.

The weekend's Barclays Premier League fixtures
Saturday
Everton v Man Utd 12pm
Sunderland v Newcastle 12.45pm Sky Sports
WBA v Hull 3pm
Blackburn v Middlesbrough 5.30pm Setanta
Sunday
Chelsea v Liverpool 1.30pm Sky Sports
Man City v Stoke 3pm
Tottenham v Bolton 3pm
Wigan v Aston Villa 3pm
West Ham v Arsenal 4pm
Portsmouth v Fulham 5pm

Barclays Premier League table

Top		P	GD	PTS
1	Chelsea	8	16	20
2	Liverpool	8	7	20
3	Hull	8	0	17
4	Arsenal	8	10	16
5	Man Utd	7	8	14
6	Aston Villa	8	2	14
7	Portsmouth	8	-4	13

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TACTICAL BRIEF
As Chelsea's extensive injury list eases a little, the midweek reports from Spain suggest Liverpool have new doubts about the fitness of three key players: Xabi Alonso (knee), Steven Gerrard (fatigue) and Robbie Keane (muscle strain). Rafael Benitez hopes all will recover before Sunday, although he was less hopeful about the availability of top scorer Fernando Torres. (The Spain international missed two of our five meetings last season too.)

Madrid provided a comparatively rare start for Javier Mascherano (pictured below) in Spain during the week, his fifth of the season. The influential defensive midfielder's season has been interrupted by injury, and his absence has affected Benitez's plans. The Argentinean's presence frees up Alonso and Gerrard more as well as adding more bite in the centre than other squad members.

Since a draw would be a very good result for Liverpool and their record at the Bridge is poor, we may see the Spaniard set his side out in the 4-1-4-1 formation he used at the City of Manchester Stadium early this month and that faced Atlético. Roma's deep five-man midfield stifled Chelsea's creativity for three-quarters of the game, and Benitez is no stranger to that tactic.

John Mikel Obi was outstanding against Roma. Composed, disciplined and the provider of some searching passes. The Liverpool boss may well ask one of his men, such as Dirk Kuyt, to sacrifice himself and harass the young Nigerian. It will be the job of those further forward, and freed up by Mikel's covering, to unlock the Liverpool ranks. That didn't happen enough against the Italians.

With Mascherano mopping up Alonso and Gerrard are always looking for the probing passes through defence to the lone striker. Tricky left-winger Alberto Riera and wide midfielder Yossi Benayoun are expected to provide width as well as protect the full backs. New left full back Andrea Dossena is an attacking player who was more usually deployed as a wide midfielder last season by Udinese.

Jamie Carragher's misjudgement of the bounce from a long ball allowed the home side to equalise in Madrid, but it is his centre-back partner Daniel Agger (replacing injured Martin Skrtel) who looks the more vulnerable. The Dane is only just back from a foot operation and appears short of match sharpness.

His presence, and the trouble Jamie Carragher has had handling Didier Drogba, from the Ivorian's Marseille days right up to the third goal in last season's semi-final, may steer Luiz Felipe Scolari's hand. That's assuming the more physical of Chelsea's strikers has returned to fitness as hoped.

WE HAVE HISTORY
Liverpool were the guests in Chelsea's first ever match at Stamford Bridge, a friendly back in September 1905. The home side won 4-0 with goals from two Scots and an Irishman.

Liverpool have not scored at Stamford Bridge in the league since 2004. We've played each other five times in each of the four seasons since. Over that period, they have managed to score in just one of our eight encounters in all competitions on the Fulham Road - last season's memorable 3-2 Chelsea win in the European Cup semi-final.

Since 1989/90 when Liverpool won 5-2, Chelsea have lost only once at Stamford Bridge in all competitions against the Reds in 24 games. Liverpool's win was in January 2004 in the Premiership when a Bruno Cheyrou goal was enough to secure the points. We are unbeaten at home against the Reds in nine meetings.

In 32 games between the clubs since the Premier League started Chelsea have won 14, Liverpool have won 11 and there have been seven draws, Chelsea goals 42, Liverpool goals 35.

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
2007/08 Drew 0-0


LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING MATCH
Chelsea 0 Liverpool 0
Premier League, Sunday February 10th 2008 at Stamford Bridge
Referee Mike Riley
Crowd 41,788

Chelsea Manager Avram Grant. Cech Belletti Alex Carvalho A Cole Ballack Makelele Lampard (c) Wright-Phillips Anelka J Cole Substitutes Malouda for Wright-Phillips (63), Mikel for Lampard (70), Pizarro for J Cole (85) Booked Belletti, Carvalho, Alex Kuyt Crouch Babel Mascherano Lucas Gerrard (c) Riise Skrtel Carragher Finnan Reina Manager Rafael Benitez Liverpool Substitute Pennant for Babel (70) Booked Babbel, Riise

Other matches last season
19 Aug 2007 Premier League
Liverpool...............1 Chelsea...............1
Torres 16 Lampard 62 pen
Att: 43,924

19 Dec 2007 League Cup quarter-final
Chelsea...............2 Liverpool...............0
Lampard 59
Shevchenko 90
Att: 41,366

22 Apr 2008 Champions League semi-final 1st leg
Liverpool...............1 Chelsea...............1
Kuyt 43
Riise own goal 90
Att: 42,180

30 Apr 2008 Champions League semi-final 2nd leg
Chelsea..............3 Liverpool...............2 (after extra time)
Drogba 33, 105 Torres 64
Lampard 98 pen Babel 117
Att: 38,900

Chelsea v Liverpool in all competitions
Games played 152
Chelsea wins 53
Liverpool wins 67
Draws 32

Head-to-head in the League at Stamford Bridge
Games played 65
Chelsea wins 36
Liverpool wins 15
Draws 14

Biggest league win at Stamford Bridge for each team
28/08/1937 Chelsea 6-1 Liverpool
16/12/1989 Chelsea 2-5 Liverpool


CHELSEA STATS
The Blues are on the longest current unbeaten run in the Premier League of 29 (21 wins and eight draws) matches since the defeat at the Emirates in December - our only loss in 39. We remain the only top-flight club yet to lose a league game in 2008.

Chelsea could equal our record 23-match unbeaten run in all competitions (excluding penalty shoot-outs) set between January and May 2007. Our last defeat was in Turkey against Fenerbahçe on April 2nd.

Chelsea have not lost when scoring first in the Premier League since the 1-2 defeat at Tottenham in November 2006.

We have scored in each of the last 20 Premier League matches, since a goalless draw at home to Liverpool in February.

We are looking to extend our record unbeaten league run at Stamford Bridge to 87 games since our last defeat against Arsenal on February 21st 2004.

The Blues are unbeaten in 106 consecutive domestic matches at Stamford Bridge (if penalty shoot-outs are excluded).

Having already surpassed Liverpool's English 63 match unbeaten home league record, Chelsea are now closing in on their all time home record in all competitions of 85 matches set between 1978 and 1981. Our unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge currently stands at 74 games since our last defeat on February 22nd 2006 when Barcelona beat a ten-man Chelsea 2-1 in the Champions League. That has been our only home defeat in the last 133 games since February 2004.

Chelsea's six most recent games

Sep 24	Portsmouth	A	W 4-0 League Cup
Sep 27	Stoke City	A	W 2-0
Oct 1	CFR Cluj	A	D 0-0 Champions League
Oct 5	Aston Villa	H	W 2-0
Oct 18	Middlesbrough	A	W 5-0
Oct 22	Roma	H	W 1-0 Champions League

2008/09 Premier League scorers
Anelka 4, Kalou 3, Lampard 3 (1 pen), Belletti 2, J Cole 2, Deco 2, Bosingwa 1, Carvalho 1, Malouda 1.


MILESTONES
Chelsea are four away from our 1,000th goal scored in the Premier League. The 500 milestone was passed at the end of the 2000/1 season (the ninth under the new league format). The scorer of the Blues' 500th was the great Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink (pictured below). And the opposition - Liverpool.

John Terry is due to equal our 1955 league championship captain Roy Bentley on 367 games and will move him equal 15th in the clubs all time list. He has captained on 242 occasions.

Frank Lampard is due to make his 250th Premier League start for the club. Frank needs a brace for 100 career Premier League goals for West Ham and Chelsea.

Joe Cole's next league appearance will be his 150th in a blue shirt.

LIVERPOOL STATS
Four opposition players have been sent off in Liverpool's eight Premier League games including the last three. Man Utd's Vidic and Everton's Cahill's dismissals didn't affect the final score but their last two games against Man City and Wigan, both Zabaleta and Valencia received red cards when their sides were winning 2-1. Liverpool went on to win them both 3-2.

Liverpool's last defeat was at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League semi-final second leg on 30th April. They have won 11 and drawn four since their last league defeat at Old Trafford against Man Utd in March (0-3), their only defeat in 23 Premier League matches.

Liverpool are unbeaten in eight away Premier League games, five wins and three draws since the Man Utd defeat.

Liverpool's best season in the Premiership is runners-up in 2001/02 with 80 points seven behind champions Arsenal. Their last championship win was in the old First Division in 1989/90 when a point's total of 79 was enough to lift the trophy.

LIVERPOOL IN THE PREM

	Pts	Pos
1992/93	59	6th
1993/94	60	8th
1994/95	74	4th
1995/96	71	3rd
1996/97	68	4th
1997/98	65	3rd
1998/99	54	7th
1999/00	67	4th
2000/01	69	3rd
2001/02	80	2nd
2002/03	64	5th
2003/04	60	4th
2004/05	58	5th
2005/06	82	3rd
2006/07	68	3rd
2007/08	76	4th

MOST RECENT PREMIER LEAGUE LINE-UP
Saturday October 18, Wigan (home) W 3-2Saturday October 18, Wigan (home) W 3-2

Reina Arbeloa Carragher Agger Dossena Pennant Alonso Gerrard (c) Riera Keane Kuyt Substitutes El Zhar for Dossena (78), Benayoun for Arbeloa (79), Hyypia for Keane (90) Scorers Kuyt 37, 85, Riera 80

On Wednesday in the Champions League, Robbie Keane opened the scoring (14) before Atlético Madrid equalised through Simao seven minutes from time. Team: Reina; Arbeloa, Carragher, Agger, Dossena; Mascherano, Alonso (Lucas 75); Benayoun, Gerrard (c) (Babel 61), Riera; Keane (Kuyt 53).

Liverpool's six most recent games

Sep 23	Crewe Alexandra	H	W 2-1 League Cup
Sep 27	Everton	A	W 2-0
Oct 1	PSV Eindhoven	H	W 3-1 Champions League
Oct 5	Man City	A	W 3-2
Oct 18	Wigan	H	W 3-2
Oct 22	Atlético Madrid	A	D 1-1 Champions League

2008/09 Premier League scorers
Torres 5, Kuyt 3, Babel 1, Gerrard 1, Riera 1, own goals 2 (Pogatetz, Middlesbrough, Brown, Man Utd).

Liverpool's managers this decade
Gerrard Houllier 1998 to 2004
Rafael Benitez 2004 to date


NEW BOYS
Liverpool's major summer transfers

Ins Robbie Keane (Tottenham, £20.3m), Albert Riera (Espanyol, undisclosed), Andrea Dossena (Udinese, undisclosed), David Ngog (Paris St Germain, undisclosed), Diego Cavalieri (Palmeiras, undisclosed), Philipp Degan (Borussia Dortmund, free). Outs Peter Crouch (Portsmouth, £11m), John Arne Riise (Roma, £4m), Scott Carson (WBA, £3.25m), Harry Kewell (Galatasaray, free), Anthony le Tallec (Le Mans, undisclosed), Danny Guthrie (Newcastle, undisclosed), Steve Finnan (Espanyol, undisclosed), Andriy Voronin (Hertha Berlin, season long loan).

MAN IN THE MIDDLE
The referee is Howard Webb. His one Chelsea game so far this season was August's 1-1 draw against Tottenham. He refereed Liverpool's home win over Man United.

OTHERWISE ENGAGED
There are no suspensions on either side.