Javier Mascherano is angry and now the Argentine wants to make Chelsea pay for Liverpool’s growing frustrations.
Mascherano has revealed Rafael Benitez’s squad are seething at being knocked off the top of the Premier League table.
Liverpool have let slip winning positions to draw successive top-flight games against Everton and, on Wednesday, at Wigan.
It means they have fallen two points adrift of leaders Manchester United and are also behind tomorrow’s Anfield opponents Chelsea on goal difference.
A month ago it was supposedly the Londoners who were the club in crisis. Now it is the turn of Liverpool to be scrutinised, despite having constructed a 15-game unbeaten run.
The problem for Benitez’s men is more than half of those games have ended in draws. And that inability to kill off teams that should have been beaten has forced a fuming Mascherano to admit Liverpool have no option to reinforce their title credentials by beating Chelsea.
“The players are very angry about the draws against Everton and Wigan,” says Mascherano. “These points are always crucial and, after a great season, it’s a shame to drop off.
“The road to the title is not lost, but certainly we have given chances to United to take advantage.
“The game on Sunday against Chelsea will be like a final for us. It’s win or nothing.
“A draw would be a disaster because, to offer United a four or seven points’ advantage, it’s almost the title for them.”
Liverpool must also welcome Arsenal and Aston Villa during the final third of the season, as well as make a potentially pivotal trip to Old Trafford in March.
Despite United being the only away team to win at Anfield in the last 65 league games, Benitez’s side have been hampered by five home draws already this season.
And Mascherano has called for a return of the “Anfield magic” and says: “I am an ambitious player and a fighter and I never give a chance to the opposition. From Sunday onwards, we must win all of our games to put fear into United and improve our chances of the title.
“This match won’t be at all easy because it is also a final for Chelsea. Chelsea are aiming for the title too and a point is nothing because the only beneficiaries would be Manchester United.
“I expect a difficult game, but I am optimistic and I want a return to the Anfield magic to claim three vital points in the season.
“Rafa Benitez ended the game against Wigan very angry and that’s normal because we have lost a lot of points when victory was in our grasp.
“It’s necessary to work as hard as possible now and get a great victory against Chelsea. Psychologically, it would be a massive injection ahead of the following games.”
Liverpool ended Chelsea’s 86-match home domestic unbeaten record with a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge in October.
The last time they recorded a league double against the Londoners, Liverpool went on to win the league in 1990.
And striker Dirk Kuyt says: “We know we can talk all day but at the end of the day we have to beat Chelsea. But we have beaten them before and we know we can do it. It’s a big team, a big game, and we just need to win it.
“We’re still right in it. The players are probably more disappointed than anyone at losing points against sides like Wigan and Stoke.
“But that’s how it goes, and sometimes you need that bit of luck to go with it. But there are 38 matches so we will see. We just want to do our talking out there on the pitch.
“We’re not bothered what anyone else is saying. We have just got to win this game know and show we can beat our big rivals again. We’ve done it once and of course we know that would send out a message to everyone – but we are out to win every game really.
“We’re obviously very disappointed at the result against Wigan. We have had too many draws at the start of the second half of the season, and now the only message we can send out is by beating Chelsea.
“But the Wigan draw is not going to knock our confidence, it’s just a real disappointment because we know we can win these type of games. There are only a few little things we have to change, not too much, and we will be there again.”
Injuries have meant that Fernando Torres has played just 30 minutes in games against the other top five teams so far.
However, the Spaniard is expected to again lead the attack tomorrow against the team he scored his first-ever Liverpool goal back in August 2007.
And Kuyt adds: “Fernando Torres is back now after a bad hamstring injury, and you can see every week how he is getting better. It’s only a matter of time before he’s back scoring goals for us again.
“I think we showed in the first half of the season what can happen when we click. Sometimes we were missing players like Stevie and Fernando but were still winning.
“Now everyone’s coming back and we’ve been dropping points with draws, so we know we’ve got to start picking up wins again – starting with Sunday.”
Mascherano has revealed Rafael Benitez’s squad are seething at being knocked off the top of the Premier League table.
Liverpool have let slip winning positions to draw successive top-flight games against Everton and, on Wednesday, at Wigan.
It means they have fallen two points adrift of leaders Manchester United and are also behind tomorrow’s Anfield opponents Chelsea on goal difference.
A month ago it was supposedly the Londoners who were the club in crisis. Now it is the turn of Liverpool to be scrutinised, despite having constructed a 15-game unbeaten run.
The problem for Benitez’s men is more than half of those games have ended in draws. And that inability to kill off teams that should have been beaten has forced a fuming Mascherano to admit Liverpool have no option to reinforce their title credentials by beating Chelsea.
“The players are very angry about the draws against Everton and Wigan,” says Mascherano. “These points are always crucial and, after a great season, it’s a shame to drop off.
“The road to the title is not lost, but certainly we have given chances to United to take advantage.
“The game on Sunday against Chelsea will be like a final for us. It’s win or nothing.
“A draw would be a disaster because, to offer United a four or seven points’ advantage, it’s almost the title for them.”
Liverpool must also welcome Arsenal and Aston Villa during the final third of the season, as well as make a potentially pivotal trip to Old Trafford in March.
Despite United being the only away team to win at Anfield in the last 65 league games, Benitez’s side have been hampered by five home draws already this season.
And Mascherano has called for a return of the “Anfield magic” and says: “I am an ambitious player and a fighter and I never give a chance to the opposition. From Sunday onwards, we must win all of our games to put fear into United and improve our chances of the title.
“This match won’t be at all easy because it is also a final for Chelsea. Chelsea are aiming for the title too and a point is nothing because the only beneficiaries would be Manchester United.
“I expect a difficult game, but I am optimistic and I want a return to the Anfield magic to claim three vital points in the season.
“Rafa Benitez ended the game against Wigan very angry and that’s normal because we have lost a lot of points when victory was in our grasp.
“It’s necessary to work as hard as possible now and get a great victory against Chelsea. Psychologically, it would be a massive injection ahead of the following games.”
Liverpool ended Chelsea’s 86-match home domestic unbeaten record with a 1-0 win at Stamford Bridge in October.
The last time they recorded a league double against the Londoners, Liverpool went on to win the league in 1990.
And striker Dirk Kuyt says: “We know we can talk all day but at the end of the day we have to beat Chelsea. But we have beaten them before and we know we can do it. It’s a big team, a big game, and we just need to win it.
“We’re still right in it. The players are probably more disappointed than anyone at losing points against sides like Wigan and Stoke.
“But that’s how it goes, and sometimes you need that bit of luck to go with it. But there are 38 matches so we will see. We just want to do our talking out there on the pitch.
“We’re not bothered what anyone else is saying. We have just got to win this game know and show we can beat our big rivals again. We’ve done it once and of course we know that would send out a message to everyone – but we are out to win every game really.
“We’re obviously very disappointed at the result against Wigan. We have had too many draws at the start of the second half of the season, and now the only message we can send out is by beating Chelsea.
“But the Wigan draw is not going to knock our confidence, it’s just a real disappointment because we know we can win these type of games. There are only a few little things we have to change, not too much, and we will be there again.”
Injuries have meant that Fernando Torres has played just 30 minutes in games against the other top five teams so far.
However, the Spaniard is expected to again lead the attack tomorrow against the team he scored his first-ever Liverpool goal back in August 2007.
And Kuyt adds: “Fernando Torres is back now after a bad hamstring injury, and you can see every week how he is getting better. It’s only a matter of time before he’s back scoring goals for us again.
“I think we showed in the first half of the season what can happen when we click. Sometimes we were missing players like Stevie and Fernando but were still winning.
“Now everyone’s coming back and we’ve been dropping points with draws, so we know we’ve got to start picking up wins again – starting with Sunday.”
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