Chelsea v Liverpool Preview: What Liverpool Team Will Turn Up?

Liverpool travel to Stamford Bridge on Sunday as the Merseyside outfit will look to regain some of their promising form from earlier in the season. However Chelsea have had equally disappointing results recently and neither side will be seeing defeat as a viable option ahead of the major clash.

Last season in the corresponding fixture, all eyes were on Fernando Torres after his big-money switch to the Pensioners. However he was on the receiving end of a 1-0 defeat, courtesy of a Raul Meireles strike, another ex-Liverpool star to have jumped ship since to the Bridge during the Summer transfer window.

Many things have changed since that memorable victory but the only thing that remains the same is the Reds insatiable desire to clinch victory and get one over on their former players. Luis Suarez, Torres’ replacement, has been in sensational form since his arrival earlier this year and he is expected to lead the line, with Jordan Henderson, Lucas Leiva, Stewart Downing and Charlie Adam set to supply the Uruguayan striker.

Jamie Carragher has returned to fitness and he looks set to partner Daniel Agger in central defence. Glen Johnson and Jose Enrique in the full-back positions with Pepe Reina in goal is likely to be the line-up for the weekend’s game.

A victory for Liverpool could see them climb above Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League table, albeit having played two games more than Harry Redknapp’s side. If Kenny Dalglish’s men suffer defeat, they will lose even further ground on the race for a top four spot with an in-form Arsenal ready to pounce on their errors and ascend to fifth.

Meanwhile there is some very positive news coming from the Chelsea camp ahead of the match. Didier Drogba is ready for first team action again after serving his suspension and John Obi Mikel is also in the frame to make his comeback following a back injury. Despite the re-emergence of Drogba, Torres and Daniel Sturridge look set to form the partnership for the Blues up front. They are likely to be bolstered from the midfield by Frank Lampard, Juan Mata, Ramires and the aforementioned Mikel.

Jose Bosingwa and Ashley Cole will command their regular position at right and left-back respectively and they will be aided in defence by Branislav Ivanovic and John Terry. Petr Cech will assume his mandatory place in goal as Andre Villas-Boas charges will hope to end their indifferent form of late.

A win for Chelsea would see them leapfrog Newcastle United into third place in the league table, provided the Magpies don’t better their goal difference during the weekend. However a loss could see the Londoner’s slip down to fourth behind Spurs. Whatever way the results goes, it will be the hungrier team who escapes with all three points in what is certain to be a highly pressurised occasion.

Liverpool generally lift for the bigger games, but inconsistency of late means there’s no telling what team will turn up.