English Premier League Week 11 Preview: Chelsea Travels To Anfield To Face Resurgent Liverpool
In the weekend's tastiest fixture, Chelsea will travel to Anfield to face a Liverpool side slowly coming back into form after a tumultuous start to the 2010-11 Premier League season. Roy Hodgson's men, led by captain fantastic Steven Gerrard, enjoyed a special victory at home on Thursday in the Europa League when Gerrard scored a second half hat-trick to overcome Napoli. While Napoli isn't Chelsea and the Europa League isn't the Premier League, Liverpool will have plenty more to prove if they're to get a result on Sunday.
As for the Champions, Chelsea soon enter a phase that will witness them slightly more challenged, at least on paper, than what they've experienced in the first fourth of the season. Still without Frank Lampard in midfield, Chelsea continue to dispose of opponents rather easily as they've now opened a five point lead over 2nd and 3rd in the table currently occupied by Arsenal and Manchester United.
Maybe not as dominant as they were in earlier weeks, Chelsea have still won three out of their last four in the league and will look for nothing but three points to keep distance from Arsenal and United as their fixtures begin to toughen.
Projected Lineup, Liverpool (4-4-2): Reina - Carragher, Kyrgiakos, Skrtel, Konchesky - Rodriguez, Gerrard, Lucas, Meireles - Ngog, Torres
Projected Lineup, Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech - Ivanovic, Terry, Alex, Cole - Essien, Mikel, Zhirkov - Anelka, Drogba, Malouda
Key Battle: Although Manchester City figured out a way to stop Chelsea's attack and beat the league leaders, until another figures out how to do the same, the key battle in every match Chelsea plays will be the opposition's struggle in halting the Blues efficient attack. Possible? Yes, just not very likely until Chelsea begin to show cracks in their armor.
Battle Within the Battle: Chelsea attack with a three headed monster in the form of Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Florent Malouda. Supported by the brilliant left back Ashley Cole, Chelsea's attack thrives moving forward while a brilliant defense that's let in only three goals in 10 matches this season keeps a watchful eye upon Cech's goal.
Liverpool's task, while audacious, is to somehow disrupt how well Chelsea work together. While Steven Gerrard has proved an inspiration in recent weeks and while Fernando Torres ho-hums his way through another season, Liverpool's clearest road to a result may just be their ability to sit back and stifle.
Still, a positive result depends on which Liverpool side, which Gerrard and which Torres we end up seeing on Sunday. The Gerrard of Thursday’s Europa League tie could prove to be the spark Liverpool, specifically Torres, needs to find better league form.
Pick: Tough to predict, but Liverpool, buoyant by their recent run of form in the Premier League and in Europe, show a spirited and passionate display in front of their home crowd by taking a point off Chelsea. 2-2.
