MATCH PREVIEW – Liverpool vs ChelseaDate – 31 January 2024
Kick Off – 8.15pm
Venue – Anfield
TV – TNT Sports
Officials Referee: Paul Tierney
Assistants: James Mainwaring, Scott Ledger.
Fourth official: Andy Madley.
VAR: John Brooks.
Assistant VAR: Sian Massey-Ellis.
The Boss
We’ll be looking to run a full tribute piece when all is said and done this summer, but it would be remiss of me not to mention the Boss’ decision to depart Liverpool Football Club in the first match preview written since he announced his decision. Like the rest of you, the news hit me like a train. I never for a moment expected that Breaking News notification to say our wonderful manager had decided to leave our beloved football club.
Recent weeks had suggested that all was right with the world again. Our football world at least. Our team were going through the gears. Whenever we had a problem, Jurgen found the solutions from the bench. Top of the league, Europa League last 16, League Cup Final, knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup at the Emirates. I have said on here many, many times that we should never take these days for granted, and those words never felt truer than mid-morning on Friday.
It left us crestfallen – but we shouldn’t be. Jurgen Klopp, his management team and the players have provided us with some of our greatest days and moments, and with the position he has helped put us in again, there’s a high chance we’ll have a few more before we wave Jurgen goodbye to a well-deserved rest and hiatus.
That work starts again on Wednesday against an old foe.
Match PreviewThis fixture always invokes memories of battles from yesteryear. Both sides have enjoyed their respective great moments against the other, since Chelsea came into new money some 21 years ago. But I thought I’d start with how this fixture means even more to me. My Mother, from Liverpool and a Red through and through like the rest of her family, moved down south for work and married into a family containing Chelsea fans, for her sins.
In the interests of fairness, I was presented with the opportunity to support either as a child, although looking at old pictures, my Mum seemingly always made sure to dress me in red. Robbie Fowler was my favourite player as a five-year-old, and I still thank God himself that I had the good sense to choose Liverpool to this day. My sister, who came along 18 months or so later, sided with our Dad’s side, and an internal rivalry was born many years before Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho came along. You can only imagine family relations after some of the encounters we’ve had down the years! But as Chelsea fans go, they aren’t that bad really.
So as I prepare to head to Anfield again on Wednesday praying for another Liverpool victory, I thought I’d remind myself of my personal top five times that Liverpool have got one over on them and secured the family bragging rights with a trip down memory lane.
5) Glen Johnson – Chelsea 1-2 Liverpool, 2011/12A late Glen Johnson winner at what had once been Mourinho's fortress. This was the season where it felt like we hit the woodwork 50 times. This one was brilliant for two reasons - the sight of John Terry desperately sprawled on his backside as Johnson slotted it home, and the likes of Jason Cundy crying on the radio that it was the worst Liverpool team to ever visit Stamford Bridge. Cheers for the three points!
4) Raul Meireles – Chelsea 0-1 Liverpool, 2010/11Days before this encounter, Fernando Torres had infamously left for Chelsea in a £50m transfer. Torres shirts were being tossed on the pitch from the away section prior to the game. Torres was highly ineffective in a front three with Anelka and Drogba, at one point being floored by a legal elbow from Daniel Agger and Raul Meireles smashed home a winner in the second half. One of my favourite away days to date.
3) Mo Salah – Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea, 2018/19This one was storybook. Footage had emerged days earlier of a handful of Chelsea morons singing a racist song about Mo in a pub prior to their Europa League tie. He duly rattled in a goal of the season contender to silence those and keep the Reds in the title hunt.
2) League/FA Cup Finals – 2021/22The games weren’t much to write home about, but picking up two trophies against this lot via penalty shootouts in the first two legs of the quadruple hunt was sweet. Hopefully we get the job done in 90 minutes on 25 February.
1) Luis Garcia – Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea, 2004/05The famous ‘ghost goal’ that sent us to Istanbul and really lit the touch paper on this rivalry. You’ll still find Chelsea fans crying about it to this day.
There are of course, many, many more to choose from!
This will always be a tricky fixture, despite Chelsea’s struggles this season. For me, there are definite signs of recovery in their team, they have produced some excellent football and chances in recent games but have often lacked the finishing touch. The media will be touting this as a dress rehearsal for the forthcoming League Cup Final, the third time in less than 24 months that the two sides have clashed in Wembley finals, with Liverpool winning both the League Cup and FA Cup on penalties against Chelsea in 2021/22.
There was a welcome sight of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominik Szoboszlai and Andy Robertson all returning from injury in the 5-2 win over Norwich at the weekend. Our Reds have been impressive throughout January despite a spate of injuries and players away on international duty and we've set ourselves up nicely for the business end to begin.
This is a critical mini period in our season. After Chelsea we travel to Arsenal. Two wins would set up another blockbuster of a title race with Manchester City in Klopp’s finale. And wouldn’t it be fitting if we were to finally pip them in one of those tight races?
There is so much to look forward to in the coming months before we wave goodbye to the boss. That message is loud and clear from the man himself. Lets use all of the emotion and make Anfield the bearpit we know it can be to get the team over the line on four fronts come May.
Match Prediction – 2-0 Liverpool (Nunez, Jota)
Predicted line-up – (4-3-3) – Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Gomez, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Jones, Diaz, Jota, Nunez
Come on you mighty Reds! YNWA.
