Chelsea vs. Liverpool
Wembley
05/05/2012
5.15pm
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Vital Preview: FA Cup Final Special
The FA Cup final is almost upon us as Liverpool get set to make their third trip of the season to Wembley. Saturday's showpiece gives Kenny Dalglish's side a chance to add to February's Carling Cup success and also gloss over a disastrous league campaign in which they currently sit 8th with two games remaining.
Both the Reds and their opponents Chelsea go into the game on the back of disappointing home defeats; Liverpool lost 1-0 to Fulham whilst the Blues suffered a 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United in their battle for a top four finish. That defeat leaves Chelsea in 6th place and four points behind both their opponents and Tottenham Hotspur in the race for Champions League qualification. As a result, Roberto Di Matteo's side look increasingly likely to need a win in the upcoming Champions League final against Bayern Munich on May 19th to reach Europe's elite competition again next year.
The Carling Cup win on penalties over Cardiff City leaves Liverpool with a guaranteed Europa League place next term after they missed out on Continental football for the first time in 12 years during the current season. The club's first silverware in six years means Chelsea can take the Europa League place allocated to the FA Cup winner regardless of the outcome of the match or their efforts to secure European football through the league standings.
Both sides have tasted plenty of FA Cup success in their histories, lifting the famous trophy on a combined 13 occasions (Liverpool 7, Chelsea 6). The Blues last won the competition two seasons ago, defeating Portsmouth 1-0 in the final, whereas the Reds must go back a little further to 2006 for their last triumph and a victory over West Ham United.
Vital Quotes:
"We have already tasted a cup final this year, albeit the Carling Cup, and getting to the FA Cup final should never be under-estimated in any way. It is a fantastic day out for everyone and is great reward for the efforts and commitment of the players and the respect we have paid to the competition." Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish speaking to the BBC
"It's going to be a massive game for me and for the club. Everybody is looking forward to it - it's a huge game. I can remember watching Cup finals when I was younger. It's always been a massive game in football. Getting to the Cup final and just the whole atmosphere - even (in the past) when I've been at home, everyone gets ready to watch the Cup final and is very excited about it." Liverpool no.9 Andy Carroll as quoted by Liverpoolfc.tv
"It is important we keep going. We want to win the FA Cup, and the Champions League, and although we have done well to get to the finals, we have not won anything yet." Chelsea manager Roberto Di Matteo as reported by Reuters
"I have played in the Copa del Rey Final in Spain and that and the FA Cup are the main cups in England and in Spain, but they are different because the FA Cup plays on weekends whereas in Spain it is in the middle of the week - but a final is a final and the 2008 Copa del Rey Final with Valencia was amazing because we beat Getafe 3-1 and I scored the first goal of the game. So I have been lucky with the final in the Spain and I wish to be the same here." Chelsea's Spanish midfielder Juan Mata speaking to Chelseafc.com
Liverpool
Semi-final: Liverpool 2-1 Everton
Quarter-final: Liverpool 2-1 Stoke City
Round 5: Liverpool 6-1 Brighton & Hove Albion
Round 4: Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United
Round 3: Liverpool 5-1 Oldham Athletic
Chelsea
Semi-final: Tottenham1-5 Chelsea hotspur
Quarter-final: Chelsea 5-2 Leicester City
Round 5 replay: Birmingham City 0-2 Chelsea
Round 5: Chelsea 1-1 Birmingham City
Round 4: Queens Park Rangers 0-1 Chelsea
Round 3: Chelsea 4-0 Portsmouth
Chelsea Team News:
Chelsea have worries in the heart of their defence with both of captain John Terry's regular centre-back partners struggling with hamstring injuries. David Luiz was carried off on a stretcher during the FA Cup semi-final victory on April 15th and Gary Cahill limped out of the heroic Champions League semi-final second-leg against Barcelona last week. Both are rated as extremely doubtful and either Branislav Ivanovic or Jose Bosingwa will step across from right-back to cover in the event neither is fit. Ashley Cole, Michael Essien, Frank Lampard and Juan Mata are all expected to return to the first eleven after starting Wednesday night's loss to Newcastle on the bench. Despite scoring a crucial goal at the Camp Nou and a hat-trick versus QPR at the weekend, former Liverpool striker Fernando Torres is expected to make way for Didier Drogba unless Di Matteo takes a gamble and plays two strikers.
Player to watch: Didier Drogba
A few months ago Drogba was seemingly coming to the end of his glittering spell in England with a bit of a whimper. Injuries and a lack of goals were confining the Ivory Coast international to a bit-part role under previous boss Andre Villas-Boas but ever since the arrival of Di Matteo in temporary charge the powerful striker, who has notched over a 100 Premier League goals in his career, has been reborn. If the 34-year-old can continue to show that he is still a dominant presence on Saturday it will go a long way to helping the Chelsea players to their 4th FA Cup winners medal in the past six years.
Liverpool Team News:
Andy Carroll's return from a groin injury on Tuesday night leaves only injured midfielders Charlie Adam and Lucas Leiva unavailable for selection (both suffering with knee ligament injuries of differing severity). Pepe Reina, Daniel Agger, Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez are almost certain to go straight back into the line-up after being rested against Fulham. Dalglish made nine changes for that fixture and other players expected to return, after warming the bench, are Luis Enrique and Stewart Downing. The main question mark is over formation and whether or not Carroll will be used in tandem with Suarez as in the Carling Cup final and against Everton in the semis. Perhaps more likely is a five-man midfield with Craig Bellamy offering the Uruguayan hit man support from a wide area.
Player to watch: Luis Suarez
Liverpool's triumph in big occasions over the past decade or so has almost always been characterised by a talismanic performance from their club captain Steven Gerrard. Increasingly however, it looks like the club may have found someone to share the burden of expectation. The hat-trick Suarez scored in defeating Norwich City last weekend was breathtaking in its quality and coupled with the 25-year-old's combination of tenacity and sublime technique, the former Ajax man is growing in importance. In what has often been a difficult and trying season personally, epitomised by the eight-match suspension for using racist language against Manchester United's Patrice Evra, it is a mark of the player's ability that he has almost double the amount of goals of any of his team mates (17). More success in front of goal at Wembley could help the team to a domestic cup double.
As always there are lots of options and preferences when it comes to the starting X1. Given the quality of the opposition and the positive nature of performance against Norwich recently I would be tempted to again operate a five-man midfield. That means no place for Carroll unfortunately and support for Suarez therefore coming predominantly from wide areas and players such as Bellamy and Downing. On a positive note, the system will give Gerrard the scope to be more positive and attack minded and it can fluidly change between 4-5-1 and 4-3-3 based on possession and the score line etc. Given the personnel I have chosen, a return to the standard 4-4-2 is also an easy alternative if required with Bellamy pushing up top and Henderson operating on the right-hand side of midfield.
Match Facts & Stats
• The two sides have met 162 times in all competitions. Liverpool hold the upper hand with 73 victories to Chelsea's 56 (33 draws).
• Liverpool have won both of the two previous meetings between the two sides this season, triumphing 2-1 in the league and 2-0 in the 5th round of the Carling Cup (both games were played in November at Stamford Bridge). They meet again on Tuesday night in their penultimate league fixture of the season at Anfield.
• This will be the first time they have faced each other in an FA Cup final although Chelsea did beat Liverpool 3-2 in the 2005 League Cup final.
• Liverpool (14) and Chelsea (11) have featured in the cup final on a combined 25 occasions.
• Both managers have experienced success in the competition twice. Dalglish in 1986 (as player/manager) and in 1989 (as manager). Di Matteo in 1997 and 2000 (both as a player).
• Liverpool's Ian Rush holds the record for most FA Cup final goals with 5 (scoring twice in 1986, twice in 1989 and once in 1992).
• Didier Drogba has 3 FA Cup final goals to his name so far and an impressive record of scoring 7 goals in 7 Wembley appearances in total.
Ref Watch:
Experienced Staffordshire official Phil Dowd will referee the FA Cup final. The 49-year-old has taken charge of 36 games to date in the 2011/2012 season and shown 132 yellow and 5 red cards in the process. Liverpool will have fond memories of their most recent encounter with Dowd when a Gerrard hat-trick inspired the Reds to a 3-0 victory over neighbours Everton in March. Chelsea also competed in a game refereed by Dowd during March but they will be less happy with the outcome, suffering a 1-0 defeat at the Hawthorns to West Bromwich Albion.
Match Prediction:
A difficult game to predict and the outcome of the respective fitness battles of Luis and Cahill could have a big bearing on the result. Should neither be available then the Chelsea back line becomes a different proposition to overcome. Elsewhere there are world class players all over the pitch. As with many big games, the midfield battle could prove key and unfortunately this is an area where Liverpool could struggle given the continued absence of Lucas and Adam. Whether Dalglish partners Gerrard with Spearing or Henderson (or both depending on formation), the players will be in a fiercely contested battle with the likes of Ramires, Lampard and Essien. If they don't manage to hold their own then possession is likely to heavily favour Chelsea and getting service and support to Suarez will prove difficult. As much as I do not like to admit it, Chelsea start as firm favourites and I sadly predict a Chelsea win after extra-time.
Next Fixtures:
Liverpool - Premier League vs Chelsea at Anfield on Tuesday 8th May 2012, kick off 8.00pm.
Chelsea - Premier League vs Liverpool at Anfield on Tuesday 8th May 2012, kick off 8.00pm.
So that's what we think, how about you? Let us know your thoughts and predictions for the game below or in the forum...
Read more: http://www.liverpool.vitalfootball.co.uk/matchprere.asp?a=281485#ixzz1trQscwFJ
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