HALF TIME: LIVERPOOL 1-1 CHELSEA
A half of two halves. The first belonged to Brendan Rodgers, the second to Jose Mourinho.
Emre Can had given Liverpool an early lead but the hosts were quickly
pegged back after Gary Cahill bundled in from a corner - with Anthony
Taylor awarding the goal with the aid of goal-line technology.After that Chelsea were well on top and should be ahead, but Eden Hazard has missed two very presentable chances.
13:28
Sterling in the book for bodychecking Ramires on the break.
The right call and a decent position for Chelsea to swing a ball in. All
a bit floaty and not that threatening, in all honesty.
13:27
Sportsmail's Dominic King reports from Anfield
Fascinating battle between Diego Costa and Martin Skrtel
erupting. Pushing, shoving, bickering with each other at every
opportunity, it stems back to Slovakia beating Spain last month. Skrtel
looks to have wound Costa up. The game is very bitty at the minute and
given how tensions are growing it would be no surprise to see a red card
get shown at some point.
42 - Corner Chelsea
Liverpool can't get out of their own third. Another corner
for Fabregas to take, and Mignolet punches clear. The Reds are so deep.
Hazard again... he's really getting into this. Jinking on the
edge of the box after being found by Costa, the midfielder couldn't
bend beyond Mignolet.
36mins: Hazard again! Johnson blocks again! Chelsea well on top here. It had opened up for the Belgian.
Philippe Coutinho and Ramires battle for possessio
Tensions between Costa and Skrtel are developing. Another arm
across from the striker. Skrtel not impressed and Anthony Taylor has to
act peacemaker.
Chance Chelsea! Brilliant move - fast break from Ramires, and
it's worked to Hazard whose shot is deflected wide for a corner.
Nothing comes of that.
Henderson's just left one on Fabregas halfway. More a late challenge than a vindictive one.
Just quietened a touch here. Liverpool looking to take the sting out of it as Chelsea impose themselves.
Here's that earlier barge from Costa...
Here's that earlier barge from Costa...
29 - Corner Chelsea
Costa's growing into this game and wins another corner for
the Blues. Liverpool again struggle from a set piece but somehow
scramble clear with Terry lurking.
27mins: Excellent drive from Coutinho - who has impressed so far - from midfield and his shot draws a smart stop from Courtois.
Free-kick in a decent area for Chelsea here. Stupid from
Johnson, who hauls Hazard down. Left-hand side, 30 yards out. Decent
header away but the Blues retain possession.
No words needed.
Bit of handbags between Costa and Skrtel. The striker barges
his marker down, has a word and it looked to have flared up momentarily.
All fine now.
20 - Corner Liverpool
They've not gone into their shells here. Gerrard over the
ball... step over for Henderson but his shot is poor. Huge cries for a
penalty as Cahill gets in the way of Sterling's follow up! Looks to have
hit his chest though.
All happening!
All happening!
Sportsmail's Dominic King reports from Anfield
Intense start from Liverpool and the crowd had been
giving them momentum but their fallibility from set pieces again tears
its ugly head. Three Chelsea players were unmarked at the back post,
allowing Gary Cahill to smuggle the ball in. Chelsea fans, predictably,
are mocking Steven Gerrard over what happened in April but every time
they sing, The Kop drown them out to show their support for their
captain.
Raheem Sterling challenges Ramire
Balotelli has the ball in the net after decent play from Coutinho, but the Italian is two yards offside.
Sportsmail's Rob Draper reports from Anfield
Think that’s the first time I’ve seen goal-line
technology used when the goal would probably have been disallowed
otherwise. It was so fleetingly over the line.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 CHELSEA (Cahill 14)
Better ball by Fabregas - Costa nods into the danger area,
Terry is thwarted brilliantly by Mignolet and Cahill thrashed goalwards.
It looked as if the goalkeeper had saved it but goal-line technology to
the rescue!
Stunning goalkeeping beforehand though, but equally poor defending. Three men free in the six-yard box?
Stunning goalkeeping beforehand though, but equally poor defending. Three men free in the six-yard box?
14 - Chelsea corner
Other side this time. Needs a better delivery.
12 - Chelsea corner
First sniff for Costa. He picks Gerrard's pocket and wins a corner.
Fabregas over it... and headed clear by the skipper at the near post.
Fabregas over it... and headed clear by the skipper at the near post.
GOAL! LIVERPOOL 1-0 Chelsea (Can 9)
Wow, right. Game on, and it's Emre Can! He's broken from
midfield, thrashed an effort goalwards and it's taken a huge deflection
off Gary Cahill and flown in.
No less than the Reds deserve - Chelsea yet to get going.
No less than the Reds deserve - Chelsea yet to get going.
Quick start by Liverpool, this. They are full of energy and
want to impress themselves on the game early. A good job really, given
how laboured they've become in recent weeks.
Sportsmail's Rob Draper reports from Anfield
Chelsea going to have hard time getting that Steve
Gerrard song going today – whenever they try, Anfield simply responds at
top volume with the original.
If you've been a keen observer of our coverage, you will have
noticed that a horse named 'Gerrard's Slip' was running at Doncaster at
12:40.
It came third-last. Nevermind.
It came third-last. Nevermind.
1 - Corner Liverpool
Positive from Emre Can, whose shot is blocked and spins out for a corner, but Courtois takes Gerrard's ball in with ease.
So, here we go. Huge afternoon for Liverpool, who kick us off.
Impeccably observed minute's silence as Remembrance Sunday is marked on Merseyside. Not a single noise - excellent stuff.
Liverpool could be playing Hereford at home and I'd still get goosebumps as You'll Never Walk Alone rings around Anfield.
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE HANDSHAKE SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATED
Well done all.
Chelsea have lost 13 Premier League matches away at Liverpool, more defeats than they have suffered at any other side.
Hope for Brendan, perhaps.
Hope for Brendan, perhaps.
We are almost ready - there's a real sense of anticipation
before this one. The Liverpool PA bloke is absolutely belting out the
starting XI.
Seven of Chelsea’s players have started every Premier League
match this season – the joint-most by a club this season, along with
Southampton. By comparison, Liverpool have just three players to start
every game.
If anything told a story...
If anything told a story...
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard warms up prior to kick-off at Anfield
Sportsmail's Rob Draper reports from Anfield
Amidst the furore of Madrid and seven more changes for
today’s game, you would have to feel Kolo Toure feels a bit hard done
by. If anyone did enough to keep his place…
Good news, Liverpool fans!
Daniel Sturridge has confirmed that he will be back for Liverpool for their next game against Crystal Palace.
'It's the worst feeling to be honest but that's football. Everyone picks injuries up,' he said.
'I'll be ready for that one [Palace] - God willing.'
'It's the worst feeling to be honest but that's football. Everyone picks injuries up,' he said.
'I'll be ready for that one [Palace] - God willing.'
Diego Costa and Cesc Fabregas are stars of the Jose Mourinho show but it's Chelsea defence that can steer Blues to the title
Ashley Clements: If Jose Mourinho's Chelsea side do race away
with this season's Premier League title, the acquisitions of Diego
Costa and Cesc Fabregas will no doubt be looked upon as the main
components to a successful campaign.
Such flair and creativity from the Chelsea attack, however, would not be able to flourish without the solid blue wall that consists of Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry and Cesar Azpilicueta.
This season has seen a more expansive Chelsea than fans are used to under Mourinho with the likes of Eden Hazard and Fabregas supplying the ammo for £32million man Costa, who already has nine Premier League goals to his name.
Such flair and creativity from the Chelsea attack, however, would not be able to flourish without the solid blue wall that consists of Branislav Ivanovic, Gary Cahill, John Terry and Cesar Azpilicueta.
This season has seen a more expansive Chelsea than fans are used to under Mourinho with the likes of Eden Hazard and Fabregas supplying the ammo for £32million man Costa, who already has nine Premier League goals to his name.
Diego Costa warms up prior to kick-off
No Daniel Sturridge for Liverpool again today. They've only
won two of the seven Premier League games in which he's been missing.
Diego Costa wouldn't get into the Liverpool side, apparently...
Sportsmail spoke to Stamford Chidge and David Tyrer of
live4liverpool to better understand the intense rivalry between the two
sets of supporters.
12:11
Riath Al-Samarrai: Throughout his time at
Swansea, Brendan Rodgers would frequently reference his years under Jose
Mourinho and compare them to a ‘Harvard education’. It probably doesn’t
bode well for the apprentice-turned-rival that Mourinho has made a
habit of schooling Liverpool in league fixtures as well.
Nine Premier League meetings and seven wins. Only one defeat. It is a match Mourinho simply loves; an occasion that has often drawn his sharpest comments and biggest wins.
It is also a fixture, when set away from league competition, that has brought some of his biggest lows.
Nine Premier League meetings and seven wins. Only one defeat. It is a match Mourinho simply loves; an occasion that has often drawn his sharpest comments and biggest wins.
It is also a fixture, when set away from league competition, that has brought some of his biggest lows.
Matic the gaffer!
Mourinho: 'Nemanja Matic will talk to the team. I finished with the team at the hotel on Friday.'
Gianfranco Zola says it is 'very powerful' and 'effective sometimes' for players to give the team talk beforehand.
Gianfranco Zola says it is 'very powerful' and 'effective sometimes' for players to give the team talk beforehand.
Mourinho throws title race wide open! Or maybe not...
'Their motivation is to win the league this season. Anything is possible in the Premier League.
'In this league everybody can take points of any team.
'We are not naive enough to think this will be an easy game.'
'In this league everybody can take points of any team.
'We are not naive enough to think this will be an easy game.'
11:59
Brendan Rodgers felt the Chelsea game would be the biggest of
Liverpool’s week. After an extraordinary night in Madrid on Tuesday, it
has now become bigger than even he could have imagined.
I was in Madrid as a fan. These occasions sum up what Liverpool are about: the Champions League, a capacity crowd in a magnificent stadium, supporters travelling in vast numbers, dreaming they will be able to say in years to come: ‘I was there the night we beat Real Madrid.’
It turned out to be a game that will live in the memory but not for the reasons anyone hoped would be the case. The team sheet that Rodgers handed in before kick-off — and the relentless debate that followed — has seen to that.
I was in Madrid as a fan. These occasions sum up what Liverpool are about: the Champions League, a capacity crowd in a magnificent stadium, supporters travelling in vast numbers, dreaming they will be able to say in years to come: ‘I was there the night we beat Real Madrid.’
It turned out to be a game that will live in the memory but not for the reasons anyone hoped would be the case. The team sheet that Rodgers handed in before kick-off — and the relentless debate that followed — has seen to that.
Here are the respective benches...
Liverpool: Jones, Toure, Lucas, Allen, Lallana, Borini, Lambert
Chelsea: Cech, Zouma, Filipe Luis, Mikel, Willian, Remy, Drogba
Chelsea: Cech, Zouma, Filipe Luis, Mikel, Willian, Remy, Drogba
11:46
CHELSEA TEAM
Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Ramires, Oscar, Hazard; Diego Costa.
Kieran Gill: A horse named Gerrard's Slip is
running in the 12.40pm at Doncaster on Saturday, five minutes before
Liverpool vs Chelsea kicks off at Anfield.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard can't escape the slip that Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insists 'gave the title to Manchester City' last year in the Barclays Premier League.
Gerrard's Slip and his trainer, B Smart, are 18/1 to win at Doncaster - or 43/1 as a double with Chelsea to beat Liverpool at Anfield.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard can't escape the slip that Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho insists 'gave the title to Manchester City' last year in the Barclays Premier League.
Gerrard's Slip and his trainer, B Smart, are 18/1 to win at Doncaster - or 43/1 as a double with Chelsea to beat Liverpool at Anfield.
So the slip... you remember it, right? Time for redemption
for Steven Gerrard today, maybe. Or - more importantly - a chance to get
this horrendous season up and running for Brendan Rodgers.
We've got team news and features aplenty over the next hour.
We've got team news and features aplenty over the next hour.
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