Five key battles from tomorrow’s massive game from Anfield…Tomorrow is the rematch of one of the most dramatic games in recent Premier League seasons, and both sides will be keen to get one over their rivals. Chelsea have disappointed in their big games so far this year, letting wins slip away late on against Manchester United and Manchester City; whereas Liverpool know that a loss would all but end their title hopes.
Here are the five key battles that we think will decide tomorrow’s game.
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5) Alberto Moreno v Branislav Ivanovic
So far, Moreno has shown himself to be strong going forward, but error prone defensively. While tracking Willian as he cuts inside, Moreno must also be aware of the threat of Ivanovic’s late overlapping runs, which give Chelsea their width, and have given serious issues to better fullbacks than the Liverpool man.
4) Diego Costa v Martin Skrtl
Diego Costa missed four games through injury and looked a little rusty against QPR, but against Maribor he was clearly finding his feet again, repeatedly losing his man with powerful surges and receiving the ball in dangerous areas thanks to his clever movement. Skrtl must be ready for a full 90 minutes of action against the Brazilian, who is relentless in his pursuit of goals.
3) Chelsea v fatigue
Mourinho would have been hoping to take a comfortable lead against Maribor, allowing him to take off his key players. Instead the Blues had to fight till the last minute, with Cesc Fabregas, Nemanja Matic and Eden Hazard all having to play 90 minutes. Liverpool have not only had 24 hours extra rest, Brendan Rodgers also controversially rested some of his big names. Liverpool must take advantage of this extra freshness, especially in the second half.
2) Raheem Sterling v Nemanja Matic
Raheem Sterling is Liverpool’s key attacking spark, and if he’s able to run at John Terry and Gary Cahill he will cause them serious problems. Matic will be the man tasked with hunting the Englishman down, and the youngster will have a real battle on his hands trying to shake the Serbian giant off.
1) Steven Gerrard v himself
Steven Gerrard’s slip in last year’s edition of this fixture was a moment that may well haunt him forever. This game gives him the opportunity to exorcise his demons, and he will be extra fired up for it. He must channel this passion in the right way, and not let his desire for revenge cloud his judgement. Discipline is key against this ruthless Chelsea side.