Make or break for Liverpool in their attempt to close gap on runaway Premiership leaders
Chelsea can kill the title race stone dead tomorrow night by beating Liverpool in the top-of-the-table Premiership clash.
Liverpool have the best recent record against Chelsea and they might just see a chance of catching the runaway leaders if they can win at Stamford Bridge. In theory, with their games in hand, they could get to within nine points of the runaway leaders.
That vision is likely to be a mirage. It is true that more teams will believe they can stop Chelsea following the champions' recent run of form, which has seen them draw three in a row. Even their last win, a hard-fought encounter with bottom club Sunderland, was not all that impressive. But there is no doubt Chelsea are the best team in the Premiership; the one most capable of turning the screw against any opposition. It is not as if Liverpool and Manchester United are without weaknesses. Chelsea actually extended their lead in the table despite their midweek draw at Villa, thanks to Liverpool and United dropping points against Birmingham and Blackburn respectively.
Chelsea v Liverpool has become the hot new rivalry in the English Premiership, and this is the ninth instalment since Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez became the respective managers at the start of last season. One significant bet pointer is that seven of the previous eight games had under 2.5 goals.
The exception was Chelsea's 4-1 win at Anfield in the reverse league fixture in October, which proved the champions have a superior attack. This doesn't look such a close match once that is taken into account. Liverpool have played for a draw in several recent meetings and they don't offer as much as they should going forward. As well as they have played, they have scored only one goal in three meetings with Chelsea this season and none in two clashes with United. Against Tottenham - the next best side in the Premiership - they scored a single goal in two league meetings. They haven't scored against any of those teams on the road. If Liverpool's stifling tactics fail to stop Chelsea scoring, it is hard to see any other result than a home win.
United rate highest for a home win over Fulham this weekend, but West Ham, fresh from their excellent win at Arsenal, are a better-odds home banker against Sunderland.