Nothing stirs the blood of a Chelsea fan more than an encounter with Liverpool FC. For certain, it’s something that is reciprocated up in the north-west and all points south-east and beyond.
Victory during the week in the Carabao Cup for Chelsea will have had the effect of poking a sleeping dog with a stick. Jurgen Klopp, his players and their supporters will be very much up for this game of football.
Of course, the success Chelsea have had in recent years – not just over Liverpool – has given rise to a plethora of, let’s say, verbal banter. Famously and ironically, the Jesper Gronkjaer goal that secured fourth place in the Premier League against the Reds on 11 May 2003 was the catalyst for Roman Abramovich buying Chelsea Football Club. Thanks, Jesper. And thanks, Liverpool.
The Blues record against their primary colour rivals is a good one. Following that 2-1 win at the end of the 2002/03 season, Abramovich has overseen 49 games between the two. That’s a lot, considering the requisite number of league games between the clubs ought to be nearer 30. Saturday’s 50th meeting gives Chelsea the chance to build on a run of 20 wins, 14 draws and 15 defeats in those 15 years. Averaging out at over three games a season, it’s no wonder the rivalry has acquired a certain edginess.
Although it’s a relatively even spread of results, Chelsea have produced some outstanding performances, sometimes against all odds and sometimes with the fickle finger of fate watching on. There have been well documented moments of controversy, own goals, sending-offs, slips and trips and moments of absolute magic, like Eden Hazard’s goal on Wednesday. The games are never boring.
But for all that modern day excitement, the two clubs first locked horns two years after Chelsea were formed. The Division One game at Anfield was played on Christmas Day 1907. The game kicked off at 11am in front of a crowd of 25,000. Interestingly both teams lined up in a formation rarely seen these days. Both managers elected to field a seasonal “Christmas tree” 2-3-5 formation… which was nice.
Although then-Chelsea manager David Calderhead’s attacking line-up seems unusual, in real terms, it’s not a world away from Maurizio Sarri’s current 4-3-3. The fullbacks simply push themselves further up the field, leaving the two centre-backs with the bulk of the defensive work. The key role in the 2-3-5 was the centre-half. His job was to mark the opposition centre-forward out of the game and transition his own side’s defence into attack.
If Sarri and Jurgen Klopp choose to adopt that same festive set-up at Stamford Bridge this evening with the wealth of attacking talent in the current Liverpool side, you would surely have to fear for Chelsea. As it is, there are question marks surrounding certain players in blue, and the Reds head into the game as favourites amongst most pundits.
Fitting Sarri’s players into that old system would suit some but not others. N’golo Kante would slot in perfectly in that centre-half role, as would Marcos Alonso up the left-wing. Cesar Azpilicueta, sadly, would be struggling to get into Calderhead’s team. His position would possibly see Sarri’s fall-guy Victor Moses resurrected into the starting XI. As for David Luiz… well, let’s not go there.
As we look forward to another Chelsea encounter with Liverpool, formations are pretty much irrelevant when set against the passion and desire these games always conjure up. Both sets of supporters will be desperately hoping for the win.
However, one Russian in particular, wherever he is watching, will be looking to celebrate this 50th meeting against an old adversary with a crucial victory.