Chelsea - pre-match thread

[TheRedCrusade]

Pre-match facts:

-Chelsea have lost 3 and won just 1 of their last 5 PL home meetings with the Reds. (D1)

-Luis Suarez scored a second-half equaliser in both PL meetings with Chelsea last season.

-Chelsea have won only two of hteir last 13 PL encounters with Liverpool (W2 D4 L7)

-Five of Chelsea's last 7 PL wins against Liverpool come under Mourinho.

-Liverpool have scored 29 goals in their last 14 trips to London in the PL (2.07 per game)

-Liverpool have conceded a total of only 3 goals in their last 9 end of year games.

-The Reds have scored more goals in 2013 than any other PL side with 83 goals.

-No player has created more goalscoring chances in the PL in 2013-14 than Eden Hazard (46 chances created; joint with Samir Nasri (Man City)).

-Luis Suarez (29 goals in 27 appereances in 2013) needs one more goal to become only the 7th player to reach the 30-goal mark in the calendar year in the PL era.

-Chelsea have never lost a PL home game under Jose Mourinho, but when the original unbeaten run continued after he left Chelsea in 2007, Liverpool were the team who ended it in October 2008. (Alonso scored iirc.)

 

[Mystic]

Get a draw (or more) from this game, and a very difficult December would have been a very very good December.

 

[LeTallecWiz]

Get a draw (or more) from this game, and a very difficult December would have been a very very good December.

We really need to avoid a loss ... A draw or win and I'm happy.

 

[Rafiagra]

Need a draw minimum. However, we can beat these and are playing much better than them currently.

But it would be typical of the Chavs to pull off a win and also put your money on Skrtel giving away a penalty. Its coming.

 

[James]

Obviously a win for us but what results do we want out of the other two keys games of Everton vs. Southampton and Newcastle vs. Arsenal? What is more beneficial for us?

 

[Spaghetti Legs]

Easy one, Saints and Newcastle.

Newcastle will eventually piss off just like Saints did.

 

[TheRedCrusade]

I think draw is what is coming but we know that we can win, specially against this team with Mou as coach because this isnt just his team. The only thing which concerns me is we shouldnt try too hard for the win, because the chelshit is going to frustrate us

 

[Mystic]

We really need Everton to lose, and against Southampton, missing Delefeou(sp?), Howard and Baines? Well its not an easy game for them. Would be great if Newcastle got a result, but i cant see it.

 

[RedZeppelin III]

fine lines ...a loss here and that's away defeats to arsenal , city and chelsea along with 5 defeats in total half way through the season . Not too bad but nothing too special . A win and we're going to win the league .

 

[Modo]

A loss against Chelski does not define our season. We have the advantage of not playing in Europe and we have all the top contenders except Man u at home. So it's all in our hands really.
57 points to play for after this Chelsea game. What does that mean?
Well in my opinion we need about 80 points to guarantee a CL place. Which means we need 44 more points. Leaves room for 4 losses, regardless of what happens tomorrow.

 

[RedZeppelin III]

no of course it doesn't define our season but it says alot of where we are . Doing well but still with issues against the big teams . 4th/5th.

And the average points needed to get 4th for the last few years is 70 . considering how this season is going , if we get 80 points i reckon we'd be right up there to win it.

 

[Jack D Rips]

A loss against Chelski does not define our season. We have the advantage of not playing in Europe and we have all the top contenders except Man u at home. So it's all in our hands really.
57 points to play for after this Chelsea game. What does that mean?
Well in my opinion we need about 80 points to guarantee a CL place. Which means we need 44 more points. Leaves room for 4 losses, regardless of what happens tomorrow.

I would be surprised if it takes 80 points to make top four. I'd say anything in the mid 70s would do.

 

[Modo]

no of course it doesn't define our season but it says alot of where we are . Doing well but still with issues against the big teams . 4th/5th.

And the average points needed to get 4th for the last few years is 70 . considering how this season is going , if we get 80 points i reckon we'd be right up there to win it.

I would be surprised if it takes 80 points to make top four. I'd say anything in the mid 70s would do.

Possibly, but like I said, a guaranteed place.

 

[Mystic]

I'm with Modo, we need 80 points to guarantee champions league, so that's what we aim for, hopefully we get caught up in a title race whilst doing this. I do think avoiding a loss tomorrow is very important though.

 

[ILD]

Im worried that our lazy fb's will allow Hazard cut in and hurt us. Hope Glen tries today.

 

[Fabio]

Im worried that our lazy fb's will allow Hazard cut in and hurt us. Hope Glen tries today.

This is my biggest concern too. I'm also hopeful lucas is back to the correct pace

 

[gene hughes]

This game has draw written all over it.

 

[Fabio]

This game has draw written all over it.

Hopefully

 

[juniormember]

This game has draw written all over it.

Certainly not a 0-0 draw. We can't keep a clean sheet to save our lives at the moment.

 

[Glen C]

Dunno if this is true or not

 

[Nir.Barak]

Agger at LB I presume

 

[Glen C]

Yeah seems like so. Not surprised really considering the liability of cissokho. I guess this will give johnson more licence to roam forward as i can't see agger offering much width.

 

[Hansern]

Has to be Agger at left back. Doesnt make sense playing Sakho there now.

 

[gene hughes]

Betcha it's Sakho at LB.

Rossiter on the bench apparently.

 

[King Binny]

Liverpool FC ‏@LFC10m
Confirmed #LFC subs v Chelsea: Jones, Toure, Alberto, Aspas, Cissokho, Rossiter, Smith
16-year-old Jordan Rossiter is named on the bench for the first time. He’ll wear squad number 46
Daniel Agger will wear the captain’s armband for #LFC today

Confirmed @chelseafc team v #LFC: Cech, Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta, D Luiz, Lampard, Willian, Oscar, Hazard, Eto’o
@chelseafc subs v #LFC: Schwarzer, Cole, Essien, Mikel, Schurrle, Mata, Torres

 

[Fabio]

Let's play your compare bench game


*cries*

 

[Hansern]

Luiz in midfield then?

Their bench is ridiculous

 

[RedZeppelin III]

i do not like the look of that table after the early results . we can't afford to lose .

 

[dantes]

Why is Cissokho even in the fucking squad, we don't need two left-backs on the bench. Rodgers hasn't thought this one through properly, which in turn doesn't fill me with confidence about the rest of his decisions and tactics today.

 

[hmmmmm1]

Betcha it's Sakho at LB.

Rossiter on the bench apparently.

Can see this lad getting on the pitch if we are winning, BR was speaking highly of him recently