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Chelsea will have the chance to extract almost immediate revenge over Liverpool when the two teams meet at Stamford Bridge once more on Tuesday in the quarter finals of the Carling Cup.
Former Chelsea man Glen Johnson’s 87th minute winner for Liverpool was enough to consign the Blues to their third defeat in four Premier League games a week ago, and along with their midweek defeat in the Champions League helped pile the pressure on Andre Villas Boas in the Chelsea dugout.
That pressure was alleviated somewhat by an easy 3-0 win over Wolves on Saturday, and now the Portuguese boss will look to take a giant leap towards his first trophy as Chelsea manager when he leads his side out on Tuesday.
Villas-Boas will likely experiment with his starting line-up and make changes to the team that sailed so comfortably past Wolves, with the likes of Josh McEachran, Ryan Bertrand and ross Turnbull likely to get a taste of first team action.
Oriel Romeu was a surprise inclusion in Chelsea’s midfield ahead of seasoned pro Frank Lampard on Saturday, and the Spaniard acquitted himself excellently alongside Ramires and Raul Meireles in the centre of the park – Villas-Boas is likely to give the talented youngster another run out ahead of Lampard one more.
Fernando Torres has been deprived of first team opportunities of late with Didier Drogba occupying the role of target man for the Blues, and Villas-Boas may see the game against Liverpool to run the rule over the Spaniard as he squares up to his former club once more.
Liverpool meanwhile face a tough task in gearing themselves up for another tough tie after their exertion against Manchester City on Sunday, meaning Red boss Kenny Dalglish is also likely to shuffle his pack.
The Reds have a notoriously strong youth set up and can call upon the likes of Martin Kelly and Jay Spearing who all have Premier League signing, while Jordan Henderson, who has yet to be given a real opportunity to have a long run in the first team since making his £20 million switch from Sunderland over the summer, will also likely get a run out.
Michael Essien is a long-term injury absence for Chelsea and will miss the game while Steven Gerrard is nearing full fitness but is unlikely to be risked on Tuesday night.
Liverpool have had the upper hand in recent meeting between the two sides , with the 2-1 win last week making it three consecutive wins over Chelsea in the Premier League.
Match Winner
Despite Liverpool claiming the upper hand in their intense battle at the Bridge once more Chelsea go into the game as favourites.
The Blues are placed at 3.75 (4/5) with Bet365 to secure a spot in the semi-finals against either Manchester City or Arsenal, while Liverpool are rather generously placed at 5.00 (4/1) with StanJames to make the last four.
The draw after 90 minutes is 3.75 (11/4) with Paddy Power.
First Goalscorer
The usual suspects occupy the top of the first goalscorer market, but with the likes of Didier Drogba and Luis Suarez unlikely to start, it could be wise to spend your money elsewhere.
Juan Mata may be on of the more experienced players on the pitch and having scored against Wolves is well worth considering at 8.50 (15/2) with BetFred. Young forward Romelu Lukaku should get a crack of the whip and is 8.00 (7/1) also with BetFred, while for Liverpool Craig Bellamay is 11.00 (10/1) with Paddy Power.
Recommended Bets
Outright winner: Liverpool, 5.00 (4/1) StanJames
First Goalscorer: Craig Bellamy, 11.00 (10/1) Paddy Power
