IT’S A DAY for sunshine football, but we’re keeping our good eye on a wet Anfield as Brendan Rodgers and Liverpool welcome a Chelsea side needing three points further their claim to a top four place.
As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the game. E-mail Sean@thescore.ie, tweet @thescore_ie, post a message to our Facebook wall, or leave a comment below.
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Liverpool 2 – 2 Chelsea
A very good afternoon folks. We hope you’re reading this out enjoying the sunshine.
Chelsea are in Liverpool with the knowledge that Spurs have just pulled level with them on points in the race for fourth.
The Blues retain that fourth place by virtue of goal difference, but they will be desperately hoping for all three points today to lift them above Arsenal and into third place in the Premier League.
Liverpool, should they win, will halve the gap to their cross-Stanley Park rivals Everton and keep up the chase for fifth.
Let’s get your score predictions.
While Anfield holds a moment of applause for the tireless Hillsborough justice campaigner Anne Williams who died last week, here are your teams for today’s clash.
Liverpool: Reina, Johnson, Carragher, Agger, Jose Enrique, Gerrard, Lucas, Downing, Henderson, Coutinho, Suarez.
Subs: Jones, Assaidi, Sturridge, Coates, Shelvey, Coady, Skrtel.
Chelsea: Cech, Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Luiz, Bertrand, Ramires, Mikel, Mata, Oscar, Hazard, Torres.
Subs: Turnbull, Lampard, Moses, Ferreira, Terry, Ba, Benayoun.
Referee: Kevin Friend
KICK OFF: Liverpool stride out of the traps well with Glen Johnson whipping in a cross from deep for Coutinho to dive at. But Chelsea needn’t worry.
By the way, as expected it’s cheers for Benitez, jeers for Torres.
Chance for Liverpool as Henderson feeds Suarez. His turn on the edge of the area draws the blue defence in and he feeds Johnson on the run.
The defender, though, can only poke the chance wide from 10 yards with Cech racing out.
We’re nine minutes in and Chelsea have not been able to create anything of note.
Liverpool are looking lively. Gerrard’s free kick from the right is cleared to Henderson whose volley ends up around rows U or W.
The ever-present danger for the hosts is the link play of Suarez and Coutinho. The south-Americans combined, but Suarez’ chip at the edge of the area was slightly over hit and Cech was able to claim at head height.
Ooh, Chance for Chelsea int he 20th minute as Ramires smashes a shot in from 20 yards.
The ‘keeper bats it away with ease. Chelsea have calmed the game down nicely after the Reds’ early dominance.
GOAL! Liverpool 0 – 1 Chelsea (Oscar ’25 )
Chelsea take the lead through the wee man who somehow finds space ahead of Jamie Carragher and directs a header inside Reina’s near post.
We didn’t spot who the man was on the post initially for Liverpool, but he abandoned his station with the ball in flight. Had he not, he’d have headed clear and the game would be scoreles..
Whoa. Pepe Reina very nearly throws in a second Chelsea goal.
David Luiz’ long-range free-kick bounces five yards in front of him, but there is very little pace on the shot.
Never the less he contrives to let it slap past his body and he just manages to turn and scramble to stop it crossing the line.
Chelsea well on top now.
Yellow card: The masked villain Fernando Torres is booked for catching Jamie Carragher with a stray elbow as both rise to meet a header.
Chance for Liverpool five minutes before half time, Suarez is fed into the right-side channel by Downing and unleashes with a rasping shot. It’s beaten away by Cech at the near post.
Suarez goes close again, this time from the left with his right and this time Cech holds onto his low strike at the near post.
HALF TIME: Liverpool 0 – 1 Chelsea
Having watched the goal back, I’d like to apologise to Jamie Carragher. It was Dan Agger who took the hefty responsibility of marking little Oscar.
He let him go as Lucas left his post and the Brazilian found the top corner.
We’re underway again at Anfield and Liverpool start the second half even better than the did the first.
Gerrard, one-on-one, has his shot saved by Cech and the skipper narrowly missed the follow-up cross.
The Kop is on its feet as the hosts create two more chances. Daniel Sturridge has replaced Coutinho and his impact has been immediate.
First, Sturridge found Gerrard and soon he was flashing a 20-yard shot inches wide.
Game on.
GOAL! Liverpool 1 – 1 Chelsea (Sturridge ’52)
Dan Sturridge continues the non-celebrating trend in the Premier League, diverting home a cross from seven yards.
PENALTY!
Luis Suarez punches the ball away from Torres’ forehead. Chelsea can take the lead right back here.
GOAL! Liverpool 1 – 2 Chelsea (Hazard ’57)
After what seems like an interminable wait (Reina went off to take a drink and Kevin Friend was being picky over something or other) Hazard calmly rolls the ball into the left side of the goal with Reina flying in the wrong direction.
Typically terse, Kenny has his say.
Free kick to Liverpool right on the edge of the area. Suarez stand over the ball hoping to atone, but he chops the shot low and well wide…
The commentary team and Bran Ivanovic are suggesting Luis Suarez used his teeth in a challenge with the Blues defender. We’ll take a closer look before jumping to any conclusion.
It’s a frustrating day for Suarez, but watching the replay of the tussle with Ivanovic, it doesn’t look good for the striker.
The defender cleared a cross from in front of the Uruguayan and his reaction as to thrust his head down towards the elbow of Ivanovic.
The Serbian responded sharply twisting and, pushing the back of Suarez’s head and the striker fell to the ground.
Chelsea fans sing ‘you don’t know what you’re doing as Benitez takes Hazard off for Yossi. Benayoun.
Rodgers also replaces his winger, Downing making way for Jonjo Shelvey.
Huge chance!
A lovely Liverpool move carves open Chelsea, but Henderson plays the pass to Shelvey. Not the man the Kop wanted in that situation. He side-footed into the side-netting.
Anfield is very subdued with five minutes remaining. It’s as if the whole ground is in shock with news of Suarez’ moments of madness sweeping around.
Another scuffle breaks out after Sturridge catches Ryan Bertrand with a stray boot.
No malice in it, clumsy, but that doesn’t stop David Luiz berating Kevin Friend.
Six minutes injury time!
That should be a huge boost to the atmosphere as Liverpool chase a point.
Frank Lampard is in the game, Benitez reckoning he can hold the fort more effectively than Juan Mata for the remainder.
As Liverpool continue to press the Kop end, the speculation begins as to whether that famous stand will ever see their little Uruguayan again.
We’re into the final minute now. With Chelsea’s defence well set, Suarez is forced into taking on a long shot from an acute angle. Easily picked out of the air by Cech.
GOAL! Liverpool 2 – 2 Chelsea (Suarez ‘ 97)
Isn’t that just typical of the man. He comes up with a decisive moment right at the end of a second half when his behaviour was nothing but baffling.
Sturridge cut onto his left foot on the right wing and whipped a cross into the near post where Suarez duly flicked the ball on target.
Cech got a hand down the ball at his left hip, but he could only manage to divert it towards the roof of the net via his forearm.
Sorry for the delay, folks. Some technical issued delayed us, but as you may have guessed.
FULL TIME: Liverpool 2 -2 Chelsea
An astonishing second half is capped by the man who was set to dominate all the headlines anyway.
We’ll bring you all the reaction from this and the rest of today’s football this evening. So keep that URL tuned to TheScore.ie
