Match Report: Chelsea 2 - 0 Liverpool

Chelsea returned to the top of the Premier League on Sunday as goals from Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda clinched an impressive 2-0 win over Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.

Carlo Ancelotti's side opened up a two-point gap over second placed Manchester United. But perhaps more importantly, the victory over another of the main title contenders restored Chelsea to winning ways after their 3-1 defeat at Wigan last weekend.

After a tight first half, former Liverpool striker Anelka opened the scoring when he converted Didier Drogba's cross. Drogba was the provider again in stoppage time as he over-powered Jamie Carragher and crossed for Malouda to slide home.

Defeat leaves Liverpool six points behind Chelsea and Rafa Benitez's side have now lost three times in their first eight league games after losing just twice through the whole of last season.

Chelsea were without first-choice goalkeeper Petr Cech, who served his suspension following his red card against Wigan, so Hilario was between the posts.

But while Ancelotti's side were without Cech, they were buoyed by the return of Drogba.

The Ivory Coast striker missed the 1-0 win in the Champions League over Apoel Nicosia in midweek owing to his European ban.

Drogba's value to Chelsea is best illustrated by his return of six goals in seven league games going into this fixture.

And here he looked invigorated after his break when he chased down Deco's through-ball in the third minute forcing Carragher into a last-ditch tackle.

Although new to the English league, Ancelotti is no stranger to Liverpool. The Italian was manager of AC Milan in 2007 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 in the Champions League final in Athens - a victory that avenged Milan's defeat to the Reds in the final of the same competition in Istanbul two years earlier.

Benitez would love to repeat another victory in the Champions League this season and in striker Fernando Torres has a world-class player which would help him achieve it.

Torres, fresh from his hat-trick against Hull, has gone on record saying he is determined to end the club's three-year wait for a trophy.

And his team-mates looked to have taken that message on board as the visitors started this match the brighter with Steven Gerrard whipping in some dangerous crosses from the right.

But it was Chelsea who had the first shot on target in the 25th minute when Jose Reina was forced to save from Drogba's header.

Reina then needed to be alert moments later when Anelka tried his luck with a neat header. Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard also tried his luck, but his free-kick from distance was a long way off target.

But just as Chelsea were beginning to find their feet in this match, Albert Riera's free-kick in the 43rd minute nearly squeezed past Hilario at the far post.

After the restart it was Chelsea who looked most likely to make the breakthrough, and so it proved in the 60th minute.

Anelka finished off a neat move after Lampard had disposed Javier Mascherano and fed Deco. The Portugal midfielder in turn played the ball for Drogba and his cross from the left was perfect for Anelka to poke home.

Drogba came close to adding a second with a long-range free-kick which skidded past Reina's right post. But substitute Malouda did add a second in the 90th minute when he turned in Drogba's cross at the far post.

Benitez - We Can Still Challenge

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez believes his side can still challenge for the title despite going down 2-0 at Chelsea to suffer their third defeat of the season.

Nicolas Anelka opened the scoring on the hour mark before Florent Malouda made the game safe with Didier Drogba creating both goals for the hosts.

The Reds rarely troubled stand-in goalkeeper Hilario and have now lost more times in their opening eight matches than they did all the way through last season.

It is more than 40 years since any team have gone on to win the top-flight crown after losing three of their first eight games, but Benitez is unconcerned by the statistics.

"I feel the performance wasn't bad against a good team," said Benitez. "We worked hard, had some good play.

"Defensively we were good enough. They didn't have too many chances, so we were defending better. We didn't have too many chances, which means they're also a good team.

"But if you make a mistake against a good team, they score. The game was a bit more open after they scored and we had some chances but you have to take those if you want to come back into the game.

"Our target has to be the next game. It's important to keep calm, keep working, improving. We came up against a good team doing well today, so we have to focus on the next game.

"This year, the top sides will lose points against the other teams, so the main thing is to try and improve and do better each week. We will try to do better against Sunderland.

"We drew a lot of games last season. We lost just two but people were telling me about the draws. Now we're winning more and losing a few but maybe we'll have more points."

Midfielder Javier Mascherano lost possession for Chelsea's opener but Benitez refused to single out any of his team.

"I cannot blame any one of the players," he added. "We have to be pleased with the team effort.

"We made some mistakes but I was happy with the team effort. That was something we wanted to do. We were right 90 per cent of the time.

"But it's a long race. Chelsea are very strong but we'll try to stay as close as possible and see what happens in April and May.

"You will see the top sides losing more points against any team. That's good for the Premier League, for the competition, but it means we have to keep going. We can't think about three defeats.

"It's one game at a time, try to win the next game and improve. That's it."

Lucas Fails To Step Up To The Mark

There is a feeling that Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez can be a little too stubborn for his own good at times and he is putting his reputation in unnecessary jeopardy by belligerently backing misfiring midfielder Lucas.

Few Liverpool observers are convinced that the Brazilian midfielder has what it takes to claim a regular role in the heart of Benitez's side and his woeful performance in the defeat against Fiorentina on Tuesday night did little to silence the army who believe he would be more effectively employed as a bench warmer.

As it is, Benitez seems hell-bent on standing by a player he has long promoted as a star in the making, even though Lucas looks out of his depth against the better sides in the Premier League. He showed signs of life against the lesser lights Liverpool have come up against this season; when the chips were down against Tottenham and Aston Villa, Lucas went missing.

The same was true in this game at Stamford Bridge. He may have been helped by the return of Javier Mascherano after the Argentine missed the midweek trip to Florence, yet Lucas was anonymous and ineffective against rivals who rarely felt threatened by his presence.

Hard working and willing to give his all to the cause he may be, yet Lucas offers little more than uncreative energy to this Liverpool side. Indeed, by the time Benitez belatedly gave up on his "hero" by replacing him late on, this game was slipping out of Liverpool's grasp and a third Premier League defeat of the season was assured.

Quite where Benitez and Lucas go from here is anyone's guess. The imminent return to fitness of summer signing Alberto Aquilani may give the little Brazilian a chance to rebuild his eroded confidence in the reserves, but it seems as if he has a lot to do before he reaches the levels expected of him in a team hoping to challenge for the Premier League. However, such is Benitez's determination to prove those who doubt Lucas wrong that he will almost certainly be starting when Liverpool travel to face in-form Sunderland in their next league outing two weeks from now. Another defeat and their fading title bid would be all but over.

Such sweeping conclusions may be a little premature in the first weekend of October, yet such is the life of a Premier League manager and a player who appears to be falling below the grade.

Chelsea would have been suffering a similarly withering backlash if their indifferent week had continued with a second successive league defeat and yet they returned to the top of the table as the two key moments in this game went in their favour.

All too often, games between these sides have turned into dour stalemates and this was another morbid scrap for long periods. Liverpool may have started brightly, but their early enthusiasm waned all too quickly as the first half failed to sparkle.

To start with, we didn't even have the familiar side show of Drogba taking on the Reds back line by fair or foul means as we had to wait until the 33rd minute for his first battle with long-standing adversary Jamie Carragher. Drogba was to have a more prominent role in the second half.

The Chelsea striker spent much of the opening ten minutes of the first half rolling around as if a sniper was taking shots at him from the crowd. Liverpool supporters are not alone in believing the Ivory Coast marksman adds a little too much theatrical content to his play at times and it seemed as if this was going to be another day when he put his play-acting ahead of his sporting prowess.

However, the frustrating and brilliant Drogba often work in tandem and thus was the case again. His cross for Nicolas Anelka's opener was perfectly weighted before Drogba provided Florent Malouda with the second goal that killed off Liverpool in the closing stages.

As he held off the challenges of determined opponents to create Malouda's goal, Drogba proved he is more than capable of standing up to the most heated of physical confrontations. Why does the experienced footballer persist in indulging in his embarrassing tumbling antics when he has so much to offer the game?

Drogba's manager was not complaining as he toasted a much-needed victory in a week when the side went down to a shock defeat at Wigan and then played poorly against Apoel Nicosia in the Champions League.

"Liverpool are a strong team and made it very difficult for us," said Carlo Ancelotti. "We stayed compact and struck at the right moment on the counter attack. Our concentration was excellent and hopefully we can now feel as if we can forget about our bad performances of the last few days."

Benitez refused to hit the panic button when he was presented with a predictable set of negative questions from the press pack. "I felt that we were doing a good game and working hard, but then the small details went in Chelsea's favour," was the view of a surprisingly upbeat Benitez.

"They took their chances and we didn't. We felt as if we were in control until they scored and then things changed. We have to keep going as this is a long race. Yes were are disappointed, but the main thing is we can come back. There were some positives from this game."

The real question Benitez must answer in the next fortnight is whether he continues to lobby for a player who is not contributing enough to deserve re-election. After this latest no-show, Lucas's reputation must have hit rock bottom among Liverpool followers.

Torres Aims For Silverware

Fernando Torres admits it would be a "massive blow" if Liverpool finished this season with no silverware.

The Spain striker, who scored the winning goal in the Euro 2008 final to secure his country's first major trophy for 44 years, arrived at Anfield two years ago from Atletico Madrid but has yet to claim any honours with the Reds.

He is determined to put that right this season and would love to help clinch the club's first league title in 20 years.

"It is so important for me to get my first club medal with Liverpool but I am young, I am just 25," said Torres, who will be looking to add to his tally of five goals in six appearances against Chelsea when Rafael Benitez's side visit Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

"I have won top honours with Spain now and, yes, there is a desperation to win a trophy for the fans at Liverpool.

"Three years without a trophy is too much for Liverpool and especially the Premier League - it is far too long for this club.

"We have to improve and try to win the league, the Champions League or maybe a cup because to go another season and have four years without a trophy would be a massive blow for Liverpool.

"After winning the European Championship with Spain I know exactly how it feels to win a major trophy and I know that, if we can win at Liverpool, it will feel the same or even better than it did with Spain."

Ancelotti - Reds Miss Alonso

Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti believes Liverpool have 'lost something' following the summer departure of Xabi Alonso to Real Madrid.

Ancelotti is well aware of Alonso's influence having been impressed by the Spaniard's pairing with Javier Mascherano during his former club AC Milan's UEFA Champions League final clash with Liverpool in 2007.

Alonso's return to Spain has seen Lucas Leiva step into midfield alongside Mascherano, but the Brazilian has yet to convince in the role.

And, ahead of Liverpool's visit to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Ancelotti does not believe the Reds' engine room is as strong as it was.

"The midfield of Liverpool put a lot of pressure on you because Alonso and Mascherano were fantastic players," said Ancelotti.

"Lucas is a young player and he has to get experience. I think he will be a very good midfielder, but without Alonso, they have lost something."

Meanwhile, Lucas believes the focus of Liverpool's ups and downs should be on the whole team, and not just star duo Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard.

"I don't think it is healthy that some people blame individuals when the team is losing," said Lucas in the Sunday Mirror.

"Everyone knows Gerrard and Torres are world-class players who are very important to Liverpool.

"But Liverpool aren't about individuals. We should not be about blaming certain people. If we win, we do it because we are a team. If we lose, it is exactly the same.

"My belief is that individuals can only play well if the whole team is playing well and that includes Stevie and Nando.

Lampard - Gerrard The Best

Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard has admitted playing against Steven Gerrard is the toughest test in football.

The duo lined up against each other on Sunday as Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge to take on the Blues in the Premier League, and Lampard said games against the Reds always provide a difficult challenge.

Chelsea and Liverpool have had a number of memorable matches in recent seasons and Lampard is looking forward to testing himself against his England team-mate in the latest clash between the two clubs.

"I would say he is the hardest player to play against in midfield because he's got everything," said Lampard.

"He is a very complete midfield player. He's the stand-out one in England. Maybe when we play Arsenal and they are sometimes on top form, you could pick one of their players but Gerrard is the main one for me.

"It's a good rivalry because we get on well and I enjoy playing on the same side for England.

"A lot gets made of us playing together because we are quite similar, but in the past year or two I've felt a lot better about it.

"Stevie is one of the best players in the England team and probably in the world to be honest, so it's always nice to play with great players and against them as well."

Liverpool ended Chelsea's 86-match unbeaten run at home the last time they travelled to the Bridge in the league, and Lampard is wary of the threat posed by Rafa Benitez's team.

"If you asked me who our toughest opponents in Europe have been I'd have to go for Barcelona because they are such a talented team and we have played them so many times over the last few years," he added.

"But in England I would say Liverpool are our toughest rivals for sure. They aren't necessarily the best team, because Manchester United have proved they are the best.

"But Liverpool have a very difficult way of playing against you. They make it hard for you to play, their defence is very strong and they have a lot of players who press you, even up front."

Jamie Carragher Can Take Comfort From The Example Of Sami Hyypia

Amid the storm of criticism tossed up by his recent performances, the reports that his legs have gone and his body, wearied by years of battle, is starting to wilt, Jamie Carragher could do worse than turn to a fellow veteran for advice and comfort. Sami Hyypia, too, was written off long ago.

The Finn can sympathise with the man who stood by his side, defiant, in Istanbul, when Liverpool beat AC Milan to win the Champions League in 2005, safe in the knowledge that football has the shortest of memories.

Scarcely 10 games after that miraculous evening by the Bosporus, Didier Drogba tore him to shreds as Chelsea ransacked Anfield. The obituaries for Hyypia, Liverpool's rock for a decade, poured in.

Carragher, 31, has endured similar treatment this season. Blamed for Rafa Benítez's team's shortcomings at set pieces and terrorised by Zavon Hines, West Ham's coltish upstart, at Upton Park a fortnight ago, there are those who would suggest that while Carragher's heart and spirit remain, he has taken those first few dreaded steps on the long road to ruin.

Even John Terry, who Carragher will face this afternoon, stands accused of similar weaknesses. The Chelsea captain may be a mere stripling at 28, but such have been his injury problems and so consistently has he put his body on the line that he has the air of one much older than that.

Pace, the received wisdom goes, is too much for Terry and Carragher alike.

Much the same was said of Hyypia after that torrid afternoon in the presence of Drogba. Yet, three years later, three years older, the Finn stepped from the shadows at Old Trafford to marshal Liverpool's backline in a 4-1 demolition. The lesson? Pace is no guarantee of quality, age no obstacle to class.

"First and foremost, you have to be a good player," says Hyypia. "If you cannot control the ball, or read the game, you can be as fast as you want, but it does not make you a better or more reliable player.

"That is not to say that you do not need athletic basics and a certain standard of pace. But whatever your attributes, you need quality to cope with the Premier League, or the Bundesliga, whatever league you are playing in. But you cannot underestimate how high the value of experience in football is."

Carragher has plenty of that, dealing with problems on the pitch and criticism off it. The last half a decade, under the tutelage of Benítez and beside the experience of Hyypia, has provided welcome respite from the doubts which circled the boy from Bootle early in his career.

Yet the fact that his name became a byword for solidity, reliability and courage seems to have been forgotten after a shaky start to the season. Carragher has looked nervy and exposed as his fullbacks, Glen Johnson and Emiliano Insua, raid forward, dragging Liverpool's defensive line further upfield and away from their vice-captain's comfort zone.

Carragher, unquestionably, is at his best with his back to the wall. He thrives, like Terry, in his role as lion-in-chief, exhorting and encouraging, delighting in his heroics. The old dog has found it difficult to learn the new trick of adapting to life as part of a team wielding the cosh, rather than resisting it.

It was the space behind Johnson, behind Carragher, which Hines exploited to such devastating effect at Upton Park and that Stevan Jovetic made the most of in Florence last week.

With Martin Skrtel, his usually impeccable partner, struggling to rediscover the form which made him one of Benítez's most accomplished performers last season, Daniel Agger injured and Sotiris Kyrgiakos limited, Carragher has had to endure his poor form without backup. The vultures, circling, have swooped.

Hyypia, though, provides solace for his erstwhile team-mate. Now 35, the Finn has left the comfortable surrounds of Anfield for a new life at a Bayer Leverkusen side enjoying a bright start to a typically open Bundesliga season. While he admits the quality is not as high as the top four or five in England, the football is still fast and athletic.

"It shows I was right to think I could still play at the highest level," says Hyypia. "I have not changed the way I play as I have got older. I have always played like Sami Hyypia, and I am still capable of doing my job every week."

Carragher, four years his junior, and Terry, a further three years younger, can take heart. Their days are far from numbered.

Kuyt Surprised By Pennant Blast

Liverpool star Dirk Kuyt has expressed his surprise after being criticised by former team-mate Jermaine Pennant.

Pennant left Anfield on a free transfer to join Real Zaragoza in the summer after three seasons with the Reds.

He recently blasted Kuyt - who took Pennant's place in Benitez's side - labelling the Dutchman as a failed forward who was accommodated in the team because of his high transfer fee.

While Reds boss Rafa Benitez has since leapt to Kuyt's defence, the Dutchman himself refuses to get into a war of words.

He told the News of the World: "I have nothing bad to say about him.

"It's up to Jermaine what he says but I always enjoyed having him as a team-mate so I was surprised by what he said."

Liverpool take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday and Kuyt insists he will be fully focused on the job in hand.

He said: "When I step on the pitch I don't think about anything except winning the game and enjoying myself as much as possible.

"We've done well, played some unbelievable games and gone really close, but we know we have to do more and push even harder.

"We've consistently shown we can beat the best teams in the Premier League, especially last season. Now we have to show it again."

Premier League Preview: Chelsea vs. Liverpool

This weekend's match-up between Chelsea and Liverpool is truly a battle of the titans - not just on the pitch, but also in the dugout.

For while the Premier League's second- and third-placed teams wrestle for the upper hand in the title race, their managers will be embroiled in a tactical tussle of similarly storied proportions.

Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benitez have twice faced each other in the final of the UEFA Champions League, and the ledger stands square at once triumph apiece - the Spaniard's Reds snatching a famous victory in Istanbul in 2005, the Italian's AC Milan outfit making amends in Athens two years later.

For both gaffers and their respective charges, this meeting marks their first opportunity this season to show whether they have what it takes to trump their fellow 'Big Four' clubs - and there are doubts as to whether either will rise to the occasion.

The Blues began the campaign in blistering fashion, setting the pace with six wins on the trot. That hot streak came to an icy end last weekend, however, when they fell 3-1 at Wigan Athletic; and the midweek 1-0 victory at APOEL Nicosia has hardly inspired confidence.

The men from Merseyside, meanwhile, endured a dodgy start - which included losses to Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa in their first three games - before embarking on a six-game winning run of their own (across all competitions), culminating in the 6-1 mauling of Hull City last Saturday.

But all that progress was halted on Tuesday when a Steven Jovetic-inspired Fiorentina eased past the Anfield giants in the Champions League, once more raising questions as to whether Benitez's squad - so dominant against the big boys last season - can cut it against competitive opposition.

Thus, it promises to be an intriguing contest as both the hosts and the visitors chase their best form. Chelsea will be hoping to avoid a repeat of their last league meeting at Stamford Bridge, when a deflected Xabi Alonso strike saw Liverpool end the London club's record unbeaten run at home.

FORM GUIDE

Chelsea

Sep 30 APOEL 0-1 Chelsea (Champions League)
Sep 26 Wigan Athletic 3-1 Chelsea (Premier League)
Sep 23 Chelsea 1-0 Queens Park Rangers (League Cup)
Sep 20 Chelsea 3-0 Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League)
Sep 15 Chelsea 1-0 Porto (Champions League)

Liverpool

Sep 29 Fiorentina 2-0 Liverpool (Champions League)
Sep 26 Liverpool 6-1 Hull City (Premier League)
Sep 22 Leeds United 0-1 Liverpool (League Cup)
Sep 19 West Ham United 2-3 Liverpool (Premier League)
Sep 16 Liverpool 1-0 Debrecen (Champions League)

TEAM NEWS

Chelsea

Henrique Hilario will start in goal, as Petr Cech is suspended following his straight red card for hauling down Hugo Rodallega at Wigan last week. John Obi Mikel is also out of action, while Michael Ballack, Daniel Sturridge and Alex are all doubts.

On the plus side, Didier Drogba will return in attack after being rested in midweek, and Joe Cole - just back after a lengthy spell on the sidelines - and Deco are both available.

Possible XI: Hilario, Bosingwa, Terry, Carvalho, A. Cole, Essien, Kalou, Malouda, Lampard, Drogba, Anelka.

Liverpool

Javier Mascherano missed the Champions League at Fiorentina with a minor hamstring problem, but he is expected to reclaim his place on Sunday. Fabio Aurelio deputised in midfield at the Stadio Artemio Franchi - but with Emiliano Insua in favour at left-back, the Brazilian may have to settle for a spot on the bench.

Danish defender Daniel Agger, who has been battling a back problem, could make the matchday squad after featuring for the reserves recently. Meanwhile, Andrea Dossena (groin) has joined fellow Italian Alberto Aquilani (ankle) in the treatment room.

Possible XI: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Skrtel, Insua, Mascherano, Lucas, Kuyt, Gerrard, Benayoun, Torres.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Chelsea - Didier Drogba

The Ivorian striker is in stunning form, his partnership with Nicolas Anelka is fast blossoming into one of Europe's finest. Furthermore, his record against Liverpool is outstanding - Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel will not soon forget Drogba's efforts in both legs of last term's Champions League quarter-final.

Liverpool - Lucas Leiva

Whether or not Mascherano starts, it is Lucas who will have to step up if the Reds are to win the midfield battle. The Brazilian has improved markedly - especially in an attacking capacity - this term, but he has yet to show that he can take control and enforce against strong opposition. Will he shine, or will Xabi Alonso's absence be made more noticeable than ever before?

Glen Johnson Talks Up Significance Of Liverpool's Trip To Chelsea

Liverpool defender Glen Johnson believes that Sunday's encounter with championship rivals Chelsea will be "massive" with both clubs harbouring expectations of a Premier League title challenge.

Johnson, a former Chelsea player himself, joined the Reds from Portsmouth this summer and has produced a string of polished performances since his £18.5 million move.

Both sides head into this weekend's clash off the back of unconvincing Champions League performances, with Liverpool having lost 2-0 to Fiorentina while Chelsea narrowly edged past Apoel Nicosia 1-0 having lost to Wigan Athletic the previous Saturday.

Many players would see the opportunity to play against a former club as the perfect motivation to go out and prove a point although 25-year-old Johnson is adamant that he has nothing to prove when he returns to Stamford Bridge.

"It will be massive because you know Chelsea are going to be there or thereabouts at the end of the season and we'd like to think we will be too," he told Liverpoolfc.tv.

"They are doing well, but they have faults like anybody else, just as Wigan found out.

"It's going to be a massive game. I enjoy every minute that I put on a Liverpool shirt so it'll be nice to do it against one of the big teams.

"It is against an old club, but that's all behind me now and I'm just looking forward to doing the best I can for Liverpool now.

"I've got nothing to prove."

The England right-back went on to bemoan the performance against Fiorentina in midweek stating that his team-mates can't wait to put things right against Carlo Ancelotti's Blues on Sunday.

"It was a disappointing performance and result," he added.

"The lads can't wait to get out there, prove it's a one off and try to pick up points again.

"When you lose it's important you bounce back with a win.

"We have a fantastic team, a good squad and a great bunch of lads who are willing to work their socks off. If we do that from the start we can get something down there."

Stop Didier Drogba And You Stop Chelsea – Liverpool Manager Rafael Benitez

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has warned his team that they must cope with Chelsea striker Didier Drogba if they are to emerge from Stamford Bridge with a win in Sunday’s big game clash.

The Spaniard renews his rivalry with Carlo Ancelotti in Sunday’s hotly anticipated showdown but Benitez has already pinpointed where the Blues’ main threat will come from.

“People may have an opinion about him [Didier Drogba], but you can never say he is anything other than a very dangerous opponent,” he told the Daily Mail.

“[Daniel] Agger is available again and under consideration, after playing 70 minutes for the reserves the other night, but whoever plays, the situation is clear.

“We must manage the threat he [Drogba] poses and if we can do that, I think we will be all right.”

The Ivorian has already scored six goals in the league this season and will be hoping to add to that tally on his return to the first team, after missing out on his team’s Champions League midweek win due to suspension.

Benitez also admitted his side must play as a team and help out the defence when required in order to nullify the threat the Chelsea striker offers: “We will give our centre-backs extra protection if need be and bring more players back to help them out, because it is crucial we deal with that.”

Chelsea And Liverpool Go Head To Head: The Great Debate On Zonal Marking

Liverpool have conceded 10 goals in their seven Premier League games - only six teams have let in more - and their zonal marking system has come in for criticism.

So as they travel to Chelsea on Sunday to face some of the best headers the league has to offer in Didier Drogba, John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho, Sportsmail talks to Anfield legend Phil Thompson about the pros and cons of zonal and man-to-man marking and how each one works.

MAN-TO-MAN: How does it work?
The five or six best headers of the ball pick up the biggest attacking threats on the opposing team and mark them tightly, following their runs. The defender must get to the ball ahead of the attacker and he is to blame if his man scores. There is also usually a man on each post, one on the edge of the box and one in front of the near post.

Phil says: Many years ago, everybody was man-to-man marking. When I was at centre back with Emlyn Hughes, I would take the biggest one of their players. Then the rest of them would mark whoever else was in the box. That way we never had any debate in the dressing room about accountability.

In my coaching times at Liverpool under Gerard Houllier, I would designate on the teamsheet who all players would mark. I'd list the players in order of the best headers of the ball and they would pick up a player.

I don't think there are too many flaws. The ideal thing about it is you get close to the player and make it as difficult as possible for him to get a run on you. People can get away from you, steal a yard and they will have a chance to attack the ball. It is each player's responsibility and they are happy with that. There is accountability if it goes wrong.

One downside is people often block off markers, which can cause trouble. In my time there, we had the best defensive record in the league for two or three seasons using man-to-man.

ZONAL: How does it work?
The defenders mark key areas of space rather than a man. There are usually three players standing along the six-yard box and three in front of them. There are also men on the posts and two between the set-piece taker and the near post. Players must not move from those positions, no matter where opposition players run.

Phil says: Managers choose it because they think they are covering all the major areas. For me, the biggest flaw is players don't have accountability. You can come in after a game and someone's scored from a set piece and everyone can shrug and say: 'It's not my fault.'

The other thing is you can have attackers running at you when you're standing still. They can be 5ft 2in, get a run on you and you could have five Sami Hyypias and you couldn't stop them. So when you get Didier Drogba or John Terry or Ricardo Carvalho coming at you with that momentum, you don't stand a chance.

But it's not just Liverpool using it. Some teams even do one type of marking for corners and another for free kicks. That's a lot for players to get their heads around.

Liverpool FC Must Show Premier League Title Intent - Rafa Benitez

Rafa Benitez today urged his players to take their Fiorentina misery out on Chelsea and present him with a happy set of problems.

The Liverpool boss is well aware that a victory at Stamford Bridge will result in their odds to win the Premier League being slashed.

But Benitez – who is considering recalling the fit-again Daniel Agger – does not want anybody at Anfield getting carried away.

However, he is equally aware that a repeat of last year’s 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge could end up giving Liverpool an irresistible momentum.

That’s why he has challenged his players to be bold, as they aim to bounce back from the disappointing 2-0 defeat they suffered against Fiorentina on Tuesday.

“It will be interesting because if we can win, everyone will be saying Liverpool can win (the title) like they did after we won there last season,” said Benitez.

“If you lose, they will say that you have no chance. We have to be calm, we have to be relaxed and we have to have the same ideas. We need to keep going.

“It is just another result that we will have to manage; if it is positive, we have got to keep expectations low, if it is negative, we will keep everyone positive.

“When you win these type of games against the top sides, it will be more difficult for me to keep the people on the floor and will hear them saying ‘the title, the title!’

“The most difficult thing is to manage expectations and a win at Chelsea could be difficult to manage but I prefer these problems – I don’t want the other problem of losing.”

One man who is almost certain to be recalled is Javier Mascherano, who has recovered from a hamstring problem that ruled him out of the trip to Italy.

“When you play away, you have to work hard in the midfield and Javier is an important player for us in the past and he has to be in the future,” said Benitez.

Liverpool have endured some stuttering moments so far this campaign but Benitez believes the time is right for them to rediscover consistency.

“It could be a good moment now to change things and the players realise that,” said Benitez.

“Chelsea are a top side and we know that but we will have the right mentality.

Torres Takes September Award

Liverpool striker Fernando Torres has won the Premier League Player of the Month award for September.

The 25-year-old Spain international netted five goals in three league games last month, scoring twice in the 3-2 victory at West Ham, before notching a hat-trick in the 6-1 Anfield thrashing of Hull City.

In total Torres has scored 58 goals in 93 appearances for the Reds.

Torres recently told Sport magazine: "I'm a foreign player, but I know how the Liverpool fans feel and I remember the welcome I had when I arrived - it was amazing.

"I hope to play a lot of years or maybe even finish my career here.

"I don't know, but Liverpool is my English team and I don't think about playing for another one."

Ancelotti Relishing Benitez Duel

Carlo Ancelotti will renew his rivalry with Rafael Benitez claiming there are no hard feelings from their Champions League meetings.

Two of the Barclays Premier League's big guns square-off at Stamford Bridge on Sunday in Ancelotti's first match against another top-four club since becoming Chelsea boss.

But it will not be the first time he has pitted his wits against Liverpool manager Benitez, who he met twice as coach of AC Milan in the 2005 and 2007 Champions League finals.

In 2005 AC Milan went 3-0 up only for Benitez's Reds to produce a stunning fightback, eventually winning on penalties. The Italian giants then triumphed two years later.

"I don't remember 2005 but I can remember 2007. Rafa only remembers 2005!" said Ancelotti.

"There is no pain in those memories. A difficult moment can teach you to improve.

"We lost an unbelievable game - it was one of the best matches for me when I was at AC Milan.

"It will remain a memory - not a positive one, but not a negative one either.

"It was fantastic for us to have revenge against Liverpool in 2007. We were sure we would win. The score is level between us now."

Ancelotti is full of admiration for Benitez's Liverpool, claiming their style would be at home in Serie A.

"Rafa's teams are well organised, especially defensively, and they work very hard to win the ball. I like this kind of work," said the Italian.

"Liverpool are very hard to play against. I think Rafa has looked at a lot of matches in the Italian league.

"At AC Milan it was very hard to beat Liverpool because they don't concede opportunities in defence. I hope it would be easier on Sunday."

During his time at AC Milan, Ancelotti became aware of Fernando Torres - the brilliant Spanish striker who will spearhead Liverpool's assault on Stamford Bridge.

"Torres is fantastic because he is able to score a lot of goals with the head and with both feet. He is the complete striker," he said.

"I like this kind of player. I never tried to sign him for Milan.

"Milan had a good relationship with Atletico Madrid. We changed a lot of players but Fernando was not for sale."

Benitez Hails 'Magician' Ancelotti

Rafael Benitez insists he will not be at war with the latest Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, claiming he considers the Italian a coaching "magician".

Benitez's verbal battles with former Blues boss Jose Mourinho were a major feature of domestic and European battles between the teams in previous years.

But the Spanish tactician promises everything will be sweetness and light when he confronts Ancelotti on Sunday at Stamford Bridge for a crunch Barclays Premier League clash.

"I am looking forward to seeing him again, I have great respect for him," said Benitez, who went head to head with Ancelotti in two Champions League finals for Liverpool when his rival was AC Milan coach.

"We have competed together at two Champions League finals and now for the first time in the league. He is a great manager, and hopefully we will meet again in another European final at the end of the season.

"He knows how to manage a top side, he had great experience at AC Milan and he is already doing a good job at Chelsea.

"He has not changed too much here, maybe the shape of the team a little but the style of football is similar and the people there are happy because he is winning games."

He added: "I have a lot of respect for Ancelotti, he is a nice man and wants to win. But we do respect each other.

"He has experience of working with top-class players, that is important.

"In Athens (in 2007) it was very close, but after they scored he was on top of things. As a manager he does not change very much, but that makes him a magician, someone who can alter very little but then produce a victory."

Torres: 'Rafa Either Wants To Improve Me Or Kill Me'

Just before it all starts on Sunday, Fernando Torres will, as he always does, drop down on to his haunches and crouch for a minute or more.

It will be just him and the turf and a small box of silence at Stamford Bridge, hermetically sealed from all the sound and the fury outside it. "I don't know why I started but I always do it before the games," Torres says of this habit. "I like to see the other players with the keeper and I like to see the other end and the people in the stand behind the goal. I try to see the goal and try to think where the ball is going."

Seeing the goal is a task which, taken in its literal sense, Torres hardly need prepare for. The eight goals he has placed into a net this season – a tally it took him until 1 February, and the arrival at Anfield of Luiz Felipe Scolari's feckless Chelsea side, to reach in the last campaign – are part of a new-found opulence in Rafael Benitez's Liverpool, whose 22 league goals in the season's first seven weeks represent their most prolific return since 1895. But there are other, more substantial goals to go in search of. Liverpool have not collected a piece of silverware of any description for three long years and the prospect of extending that to a fourth would, Torres sees all too clearly, be a catastrophe for the Red quarters of Merseyside and beyond.

"To go another season and have four years without a trophy would be a massive blow for Liverpool," he says, in his excellent English which is still more Spanish than Scouse. "Three years without a trophy is too much for Liverpool, and especially the Premier League. We have to improve. We really have to win [one]."

He is not the only Liverpool player to betray a yearning for silverware. The same feelings left Pepe Reina, Torres' great ally at Anfield, reflecting last month that the title was not a "realistic objective". But Torres has been here before, on the outside looking in with more than a little envy at other people's trophy cabinets. After an upbringing in Fuenlabrada, a small city on the outskirts of Madrid famous across Spain for putting skirts on the green stick-man illuminated at pedestrian crossings in the interests of gender equality, Torres found himself on the receiving end of the capital city's mighty football inequality, attempting to help Atletico Madrid match their neighbours, Real. Torres, one part prodigy, one part folk hero at Estadio Vincente Calderon, was worn down by the side's over-reliance on him in the end. "Any team has to be built on collective responsibility but at Atletico I had too much and I had to take on the responsibility of others, too," Torres revealed last season.

Though it seems like a case of history repeating itself – the dependence on Torres and Steven Gerrard is as profound as it ever was at Anfield – then Torres has at least found solace from a compatriot who has experienced the same. "I am still waiting for a trophy at club level, and I want one, but I am still young; I am just 25," Torres says. "I was talking with Carles Puyol at Barcelona some years ago and he said he was 23-24 at Barcelona and hadn't won a single trophy, but now he has plenty of them." Ten, to be precise. But while Puyol's wait for silverware lasted six years, Torres is now into his ninth club campaign, with the taste of success which last year's European Championship brought with Spain only accentuating the sense of what has been missing with his clubs.

For all that, though, there is something in the Torres character which makes these proletarian struggles quite natural ones. He might have the accoutrements of the superstar – including the £130,000-a-week salary which this summer's new five-year contract brought and the personal website which confidently places No 9 between his first and last names – but the prevailing sense which El Nino: My Story, his new autobiography, leaves is how Torres and a working-class city like Liverpool were made for each other. He chose Liverpool, he says, "because of the mentality of the club. It's a working club. Always, Liverpool never had the same money as other teams and always is winning trophies like the bigger ones."

Everton fans do not seem to take the same delight in ruining a Torres night out that Real's did, either. "I couldn't do almost anything in Madrid when I was there," he recalls. "Madrid is a big city and I wasn't playing for the strongest team, so 80 per cent of the people there are Real fans. It was hard just to walk or go to a restaurant or the cinema because people do not have the same respect there that they do here for players. If I went somewhere with friends [in Madrid] it was really difficult. Here in Liverpool, I can do almost everything I want to do. I can walk in the park, or to the Albert Dock. The people recognise you but they have a lot of respect for a player. The quality of life is the main thing for me."

It is as well, perhaps, that his preferred days out are not to Manchester – where his career would have taken him had Sir Alex Ferguson has his way – but to the more Liverpool-friendly locations of Chester and Formby. (A 99 Flake with raspberry sauce, the book tell us, is his preference at the seaside.) Perhaps it is also the working-class outlook which makes some of Benitez's interminable ways more tolerable to him than they were to the Liverpool squad the manager inherited in 2004. Torres has more than demonstrated his technical abilities – the quick foot-to-foot transfer and his habit of feigning lack of interest in a ball before pinching it from a defender, which helped him score the 33 goals which, in 2007-08, made him the highest foreign goalscorer in a debut season in English football history. But still the manager obsesses about improvements.

One of the excellent anecdotes in El Nino concerns a day when, after Torres had scored twice in Liverpool's magnificent 2-0 win over Chelsea in February, he was tying up his boots ready to head out to the Melwood training pitch. The weekend papers had been full of stories about Torres being set to become a father and he takes up the story: "'Congratulations, Fernando,' Rafa says.’Thanks, boss,' I reply. I assumed he was congratulating me on the pregnancy and I paused, expecting the obvious next question. I was wrong. 'Just as we'd anticipated, attacking the near post really paid off yesterday,' he said. 'You got ahead of the defender into that space we talked about, which gave you an advantage and allowed you to beat Cech with a header.'"

Typical Benitez – and a story Glen Johnson should have read before he arrived at Anfield in July. Johnson assumed that Benitez would appreciate his talents, having paid £17m for him – then spent three weeks listening to him detailing his faults. "Rafa spends time with everyone whether they are doing well or badly," Torres says in the manager's defence. "He is always pushing the players because it is the best way to improve, and you can say to yourself he wants to improve me or he wants to kill me, but I can tell you, he does want the best for every single player."

The spending limitations are all too apparent at Liverpool, whose American owners are seeking equity partners to help offset their debt, leading Reina to reflect that "teams like Manchester United have lots of players who can tip the balance; we haven't got the individuals". But Torres has a more positive philosophy. "It is easier when you have money to spend on top players, because you have more quality in the squad and more chances," he says. "But it's not always like that. Liverpool won the Champions League four years ago with just a strong squad, so we have different strengths. We have to do it another way." He believes Liverpool can experience the same effect from a first trophy that United enjoyed after winning the Premier League in 1993. "We know that when the first trophy comes we can win plenty of trophies. The next one will come soon," he says.

Having Torres and Gerrard fit to play together more often than the 17 times in the league they were in tandem last season is critical. So far they have already played together in every league game. And victory over Chelsea on Sunday will be a psychological asset. "It will give us plenty of confidence going into the international break. We will be able to rest a little bit and come back feeling like a strong team. If you can beat Chelsea away then you know you can beat any team in England and in Europe. We need to win these kind of games to be stronger." Such are the thoughts that will consume the mind of the crouching tiger who, if you look closely, you will see down there – just about pitch level – as the Stamford Bridge clock ticks up to 4pm on Sunday.

Rafa Ready To Dent Blues

Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez knows that Sunday's crucial meeting with Chelsea can contribute towards the outcome of the Premier League title race.

The Reds travel to London to take on their fierce rivals in determined mood as they aim to respond to critics who have already questioned their 2009/10 credentials.

Defeats to Tottenham and Aston Villa have already rocked Benitez's plans and allowed the doom-mongers to congregate around Anfield before August had come to an end.

But Liverpool have since stabilised in the league and their boss is adamant that there will still be plenty of twists in the battle for silverware as he aims to add pressure on Chelsea, who lost at Wigan last weekend.

Benitez told Sky Sports News: "It is always important when you play against the top sides because it can make a big difference.

"But you never know. It is important to do the right things and if you can win it is fantastic. If not, you have to keep going. It is an important game for both teams."

He added: "If we can win, it will be two defeats in a row for them. But my idea is always the same, it is a long race and there is still much to play."

Benitez heavily criticised his players in midweek following a comprehensive defeat at Fiorentina in the UEFA Champions League and he is expecting a reaction on Sunday.

But the former Valencia chief is also wary that Chelsea, who were unbeaten before their setback at Wigan, are looking to rediscover top gear.

He said: "Both teams will be desperate to win so we will hopefully see a good game. You always have to go with the idea that you can win."

Benitez is set to renew rivalries with Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti on Sunday after twice crossing swords with the ex-AC Milan manager in UEFA Champions League finals.

Liverpool memorably got the better of Milan in 2005 in arguably the best European Cup final in history, however, Ancelotti's side gained revenge in 2007.

Benitez is therefore expecting another intriguing encounter with the Italian, saying: "It will be interesting because he is a great manager.

"We have played in the finals and, OK, it will be good to see him and hopefully we will see him again in another final.

"He knows how to manage a top side. He has experience at AC Milan where he did really well and here he is now doing a very good job with good players."

But Benitez - who has been critical in the past of the tactics from the Blues under former bosses Jose Mourinho, Avram Grant and Luiz Felipe Scolari - does not think Ancelotti has had a radical impact.

When asked if he had noticed any difference in Chelsea's approach this season, he said: "Not too much. He has changed the shape of the team a bit, but the style of football is similar."

Man Charged Over Gerrard Break-In

Police have charged a man with burglary and robbery at the home of Liverpool and England midfielder Steven Gerrard.

Gerrard's wife Alex Curran, 27, was confronted by four masked raiders at the couple's mansion in Formby, Merseyside, on the evening of December 11, 2007.

She was left shaken but uninjured as the robbers struck while Gerrard, 29, was playing in Liverpool's Champions League tie away to Marseille.

The offenders, who all wore dark clothing, hoods and balaclavas, made off with items of jewellery.

A Merseyside Police spokesman said: "Police have arrested and charged a 22-year-old man from Stockbridge Village, Liverpool, with burglary and robbery following an incident at a house in Formby on December 11, 2007.

"Martin Wilson will appear at North Sefton Magistrates' Court on October 30."

Dirk Kuyt: Chelsea Don't Worry Liverpool

Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt claims that his side are heading into Sunday's trip to Chelsea with confidence, despite the fine early season form of Carlo Ancelotti's men.

The Reds completed a Premier League double over the Londoners last season, and the Dutchman feels that that gives Rafa Benitez's men a strong reason for optimism.

"Okay, Chelsea had a one hundred per cent record until last weekend, but I'm not really worried about them," Kuyt told Liverpool's official website.

"If we play to the level we're capable of, we can win there again. We beat them home and away last season, so why not this year too?

"It's always a difficult game at Stamford Bridge but I believe we showed something last season by winning there.

"By beating both Chelsea and Man United twice in the league we proved we can beat most teams home and away. Chelsea have a group of players who have been together for a long time and with fantastic strikers such as Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

"But we know them well after playing against each other many times."

Two Premier League defeats already this season mean that there is a certain amount of pressure on Liverpool, although Kuyt maintains that if they focus on their own performance things should go well on Sunday.

He added: "We know what we have to do. At this stage we've already lost twice. That's the same amount as the whole of last season in the league.

"We just have to worry about our own games for now. Chelsea is a big game but we just have to look at ourselves.

"It's too early to talk about where the title is going, but if we beat Chelsea we'll be right back in there."