Club historian Rick Glanvill and statistician Paul Dutton prepare for yet another momentous game at Anfield.

Rick anticipates a 'completely different' encounter to our last league visit there.

 

See what happens when you go for more entertainment? All this one-nil down, two-one up stuff. Chelsea, the champions of scoring first going behind? In 2006/7 we recovered from a position of adversity to win on four occasions: Everton away, Arsenal in the League Cup final, and twice in the Champions League, against Porto and Valencia.

This season we've already done it twice in our first two matches. Still, Manchester Utd have dropped two points in each game so far. A lot has been made of the fact that they did the same in 1998/9 and completed the season with a treble. But the fact is they won the League with a closing points total of just 79 points that year.

Last season that would only have been good enough to finish third; in 2005/6, fourth. In fact, in each campaign since 1999, 79 points would rarely have been enough to earn the runners-up slot, let alone the title.

Are United title challengers this year? Or is the threat likely to come from the blue half of the city, or even Merseyside? No, not current table-toppers Everton: Liverpool.

They have surely spent enough in the summer to challenge seriously for the Premier League, despite by their own chief executive's measure. 'I guess when you've spent £500m,' Rick Parry said last year, 'it's a fantastic season to win the League Cup.'

He was talking about Chelsea's spending since 2003, but it was his club that finished trophy-less and way off the League pace once more. That's why they've paid out another £54m to bring in the likes of Fernando Torres, Ryan Babel and Lucas Leivo.

As they have been in baking hot France trying to qualify for the Champions League this week, Liverpool have only played one Premier League game so far. They won that match at Aston Villa with a late long-ranger by Steven Gerrard (who broke a toe at Toulouse on Wednesday) from a curiously awarded free kick.

Last season, of course, Chelsea here arrived at our lowest ebb, dogged by long-term injuries and stung by a sequence of damaging draws. A team already missing John Terry amongst others was further depleted by Ricardo Carvalho's late withdrawal through illness; an irregular defence including Paulo Ferreira and Michael Essien in the centre did not make it a smooth return for Petr Cech. No Chelsea side under José Mourinho had looked beaten before the opening whistle as this one did. It finished 0-2 and could have been more.

Sunday will be completely different, especially if JT and Essien are fit. It will be the Ghanaian's 100th appearance for the Blues is he plays.

The game offers a fluent, confident Chelsea side (first half at Reading aside) the chance to overcome a major hurdle early in the season. In fact, Chelsea also play at Manchester Utd and Arsenal before Christmas; all three will have to come to fortress Stamford Bridge as the title race heats up.

Whatever the result at Eastlands in the 1.30 game, City versus Utd, it's likely that at 4pm we will see Chelsea return to the tighter tactics of last season against a top four side, rather than maintaining the open attacking of the recent two matches.

Drogba's return to fitness will have worried Rafael Benitez; no player has caused Liverpool's defences more sleepless nights. And it still looks like the Scousers remain vulnerable down the flanks at the back. Salomon Kalou, Florent Malouda and Shaun Wright-Phillips, all of whom have been excellent so far this season, could have a big say in how comfortable an afternoon it is for Jamie Carragher and José Reina.

This fixture hasn't needed much extra salsa to spice it up recently. But the loss of their proud unbeaten home league record to a club they absurdly berate for having 'no history' will not be lost on Liverpool's supporters.

This could be a cracker.

LIVERPOOL V CHELSEA - Paul Dutton with the facts and figures behind this famous fixture.

Chelsea have lost only two games in all competitions in normal play in the last 45 games, stretching back to last November. Both were at Anfield: in the Premier League in January, and the Champions League semi-final in May.

On Sunday Chelsea and Liverpool meet for the 16th time since José Mourinho and Rafael Benítez arrived in England three seasons ago. Chelsea have won seven, Liverpool won five and there has been three draws. The Blues have scored 15 to Liverpool's 11. The results in full are as follows:

Oct 3 2004 (Premier League)

Chelsea 1 (J Cole) Liverpool 0

Jan 1 2005 (Premier League)

Liverpool 0 Chelsea 1 (J Cole)

Feb 27 2005 (Carling Cup Final)

Liverpool 2 (Riise, Nunez) Chelsea 3 (Gerrard og, Drogba, Kezman)

Apr 27 2005 (Champions League semi-final)

Chelsea 0 Liverpool 0

May 3 2005 (Champions League semi-final)

Liverpool 1 (Garcia) Chelsea 0

Sep 28 2005 (Champions League Group)

Liverpool 0 Chelsea 0

Oct 2 2005 (Premier League)

Liverpool 1 (Gerrard) Chelsea 4 (Lampard pen, Duff, J Cole, Gérémi)

Dec 6 2005 (Champions League Group)

Chelsea 0 Liverpool 0

Feb 5 2006 (Premier League)

Chelsea 2 (Gallas, Crespo) Liverpool 0

Apr 22 2006 (FA Cup semi-final)

Liverpool 2 (Riise, Garcia) Chelsea 1 (Drogba)

Aug 13 2006 (Community Shield)

Liverpool 2 (Riise, Crouch) Chelsea 1 (Shevchenko)

Sep 17 2006 (Premier League)

Chelsea 1 (Drogba) Liverpool 0

Jan 20 2007 (Premier League)

Liverpool 2 (Kuyt, Pennant) Chelsea 0

Apr 25 2007 (Champions League semi-final)

Chelsea 1 (J Cole) Liverpool 0

May 1 2007 (Champions League semi-final)

Liverpool 1 (Agger) Chelsea 0

Chelsea have won three of our last four Premier League games at Anfield which is some feat as the previous 60 league matches have only seen five wins for the Blues.

Following a 3-2 win in 1935 we went 56 years without leaving Anfield with maximum points. The game in February 1992 brings back happy memories of Vinnie Jones's 25-yard opener and Dennis Wise's winner after Ronnie Rosenthal equalised for Liverpool.

Our 4-1 victory in 2005 was our best result at Anfield since Christmas Day 1907 - Chelsea's first ever visit there - and was Liverpool's worst home league defeat since Man Utd won there in 1969.

On New Year's Day 2005 Joe Cole came off the bench for the second time against Liverpool that season to score the only goal of the game. It was our first league double over Liverpool since 1919/20, when Harold Brittan had also scored the winners in two 1-0 victories.

In 15 Premier League meetings at Anfield Chelsea have won three, Liverpool have won 10 and there have been two draws.

Liverpool have won more top flight championships than any other club. In all they have won 18 titles, two ahead of rivals Man Utd. Their peak came in the seventies and eighties when they won 11 championships in 18 years from 1973.

Their last title was won way back in 1990 under Kenny Dalglish when a points total of 79 was enough to lift the First Division trophy. With heavy investment in the transfer market this summer Rafael Benítez is under even more pressure to deliver the Premier League for the first time.

The top five over the 15-year history of the Premier League reads like this:

1 Man Utd 1234 points

2 Arsenal 1084

3 Chelsea 1019

4 Liverpool 1002

5 Aston Villa 817

Liverpool's best season in the Premier League is runners-up in 2001/02 with 80 points, seven behind champions Arsenal. Last season they were third with 68 points, 15 behind Chelsea and 21 behind Man Utd.

Liverpool's last six games

May 1 Chelsea (h UCL) W 1-0

May 5 Fulham (a) L 0-1

May 13 Charlton (h) D 2-2

May 23 AC Milan (UCL Final) L 1-2

Aug 11 Aston Villa (a) W 2-1

Aug 15 Toulouse (UCL Q a) W 1-0

Liverpool's team for their opener at Villa Park on Saturday evening was: Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Arbeloa; Pennant (Babel 74), Gerrard (c), Alonso, Riise; Torres (Voronin 79), Kuyt (Sissoko 90). A Laursen own goal and a late Gerrard free kick secured all three points.

Wednesday's trip to the South of France to play Toulouse in the Champions League qualifier saw six changes. Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Arbeloa; Benayoun (Riise 59), Gerrard (c) (Sissoko 65), Mascherano, Babel; Crouch, Voronin (Torres 78). Voronin scored the only goal two minutes before the break.

Liverpool's top league scorers last season were Dirk Kuyt with 12, Peter Crouch nine and Craig Bellamy and Steven Gerrard seven.

Captain Gerrard made the most Premier League appearances - 35, plus one as substitute.

Liverpool were the only club not to be shown a red card in the Premier League last term.

Liverpool conceded seven league goals at home last season, fewer than any other club. Their home record was: won 14, drawn four and lost one.

Since our 4-1 win in October 2005 Liverpool have lost just once at Anfield in 35 Premier League games - the injury time defeat to Man Utd in March this year.

Liverpool have been the big spenders in the summer together with Man Utd. Fernando Torres became their record signing.

Ins Fernando Torres (Atlético Madrid, £26.5m), Ryan Babel (Ajax, £11.5m), Lucas Leiva (Gremio, £8m), Yossi Benayoun (West Ham, £5m), Sebastian Leto (Lanus £1.8m), Andriy Voronin (Bayer Leverkusen, free), Charles Itandje (Lens, undisclosed), Mikel San Jose (Athletic Bilbao £270,000), Krisztian Nemeth and Andras Simon (both MTK Hungariam, £100,000 each), Nikolay Mihaylov (Levski Sofia, undisclosed).

Outs Mark Gonzalez (Real Betis, undisclosed), Bolo Zenden (Marseille, free), Robbie Fowler (Cardiff, free), Florent Sinama Pongolle (Recreativo Huelva, £2.7m), Danny Guthrie (Bolton, season-long loan), Luis Garcia (Atlético Madrid, £3.5m), Craig Bellamy (West Ham, £7.5m), Djibril Cisse (Marseille, £6m), Jerzy Dudek (Real Madrid, released), Scott Carson (Aston Villa, season-long loan).

There are no suspensions on either side.

The match referee is Rob Styles who took charge of the corresponding fixture last season.

Chelsea's overall record against Liverpool in all competitions is: played 147, won 51, drawn 29, lost 67

Head-to-head in the League at Anfield: played 64, won 8, drawn 13, lost 43

LAST SEASON'S CORRESPONDING GAME

Liverpool 2 Chelsea 0

Premier League, Saturday January 20, 2007, Anfield.

Liverpool (4-4-2): Reina; Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Aurelio; Pennant, Alonso, Gerrard (c), Riise; Crouch (Bellamy 84), Kuyt (Gonzalez 90).

Scorers Kuyt (3), Pennant (17)

Chelsea (4-3-3): Cech; Gérémi, Ferreira, Essien, A Cole; Ballack, Mikel (Shevchenko 73), Lampard (c); Kalou, Drogba, Robben (Wright-Phillips 20).

Booked Ferreira

Referee Rob Styles.

Crowd 44,245.

Petr Cech's comeback game following his fractured skull three months earlier. Carvalho pulled out late with a high temperature and with Terry still injured resulted in a makeshift central defence. Makelele was suspended.