Chelsea 0-2 Liverpool: The one that Andreas Christensen saw red

You know when the team news drops and you see what should be a problem area for the opposition and you're feeling good. You think to yourself this is the one. If we can just exploit that 'weakness' it should all come together. And then it very much does not? That's exactly what happened on Sunday afternoon.

Liverpool were to face Chelsea with just one recognised centre back. With Joe Gomez and Joel Matip unavailable Fabinho slotted in next to Virgil van Dijk. It was the the dream that quickly turned into a nightmare. Of course he turned into prime Fabio Cannavaro.

Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool: The one cup game Jurgen Klopp attended

You. Shall. Not. Pass.

Frank Lampard edges closer to his first trophy as Chelsea manager with a big win on Tuesday night. After a questionable run of results to start the year, the Blues have seen off Liverpool to book a date at Leicester in the FA Cup quarter-finals.

The boss made six changes to the team that limped to a 2-2 draw on Sunday. Personally I'm not usually a fan of that number of changes for a cup game but after the performance at the weekend it was obvious the team needed a shakeup.

Chelsea vs Liverpool: The One Where Nil-Nils Are Fun

How Diego Costa celebrates a goal

Familiarity breeds contempt. A sentiment that never seems to ring truer than when Liverpool face Chelsea again and again and again. With the first leg remaining fairly tempered it was bound to bubble over last night — and definitely did. A lot.

After a fairly turgid display from both sides in the bigger and better cup FA Cup this weekend, it was good to see there was some fighting spirit in the players. Quite literally. But it wasn’t all Diego Costa’s crimes* against nature and the never-ending farewell tour of Saint Steven. Some actual football snuck in here and there.

Most surprisingly was the performance of, unrecognised by his own manager, Simon Mignolet. Some people *cough* presumed if you shot anywhere in and around his area that the goals would come flooding in. They. Did. Not. Mignolet produced some fine saves in the absence of injured Brad Jones and could just see out the season in his smashing purple garb.

Liverpool v Chelsea: Reality Bites

The moment Suarez realises he did
not bite Ivanovic hard enough

How was this weekend’s football ever going to live up to all the excitement of last weekend where a man squared up to a horse, and Aguero played proctologist for a day? Saturday limped through with nothing more than QPR and Reading playing chicken with points, and Arsenal doing what they could to make the race for top four interesting. And then came Sunday ....

Rain soaked and crammed into tiny pubs all around Anfield, Chelsea watched as seven minutes was all it took for Spurs to turn Chelsea's match with Liverpool from probably should win into absolutely have to win. It was about as positive a sign as was a manager being in charge of the club in his former ground hearing what sounded like applause for the first time for him this season. Or was that merely interim applause?

Either way as supporters made their way in they were treated with a lot of pomp and circumstance and a minute’s applause for fear that the ne’re-do-well Chelsea supporters ruin their moment again. A woman who’d spent her life fighting for the justice of her son’s lost life warranted that moment. People who lost their lives while punishing their bodies for the good of a number of charities deserved their moment. Linking the two tragedies was crass, inappropriate at minimum.

The match was always going to be a lively one on and off the pitch. And despite some cynical thoughts that may have transversed by imagination, the lineup wasn’t the Southampton-style horror show I had anticipated. However, with such a delicate constitution and not being cup tied for Thursday, the mask of Torres should have been a spectator for this occasion only. This moment could have tipped the balance just enough to be even more powerful than the influence that masochistic accessory.

Chelsea Back to Winning Ways - in the League!

Transformers: Robots in Disguise

Goodbye weekends, hello football. The thief of any semblance of spare time or money has come back and robbed me. And by robbed me, given me some purpose as I leave my pub stool and lager for, well, a seat inside the ground and lager.* And it certainly didn’t fail to disappoint. Unless of course you are fans of QPR, Norwich, or Liverpool. Those three matches saw thirteen, THIRTEEN! goals from Swansea, Fulham, and West Brom. 

As shocking as that is, it gets even more dramatic. Steve Clarke somehow made an actual striker out of aimlessly large Romelu Lukaku. Not only did he score, but he caused trouble - and not just from standing around and being in the way. Too early to consider him for a position on my fantasy team? Or am I really trying to get you to put him in your fantasy league so I’ll win. Or am I writing this at a pub right now, and have lost all sense of what I’m actually saying? That’s SAF levels of mind games right there.

And in news, that's not really news at all from the Liverpool match. Joe Cole featured for 10 minutes before his hamstring gave up on him. Joe, go back to France. Your hamstring can thank me later.

Of course they weren’t the only ones in action, as friendly neighbours Tottenham and Arsenal were both in action. Not with each other... but you knew that already. AVB has started his campaign by sanctioning one of the few top players that he has which of course resulted him starting life in charge of Sp*rs with a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle. However, to no stranger to impressing supporters of the club he’s in charge of, AVB is weighing up Meireles and Chamakh! No really. It’s a subtle way of winning the Chelsea faithful back, showing them he really does have a sense of humour.

Coming to a Club Near You... Managerial Special

Roman may need to remove Meireles
hair from Hazard's face before showing
him to Pep.

At the time Chelsea were on the brink of a Champions League exit crouching manager hidden ginger was shown the door at Stamford Bridge, there was a need to fill his D&G suit. With managers like Rafa Benitez putting himself forward, there was obvious panic throughout supporters to get someone in because, there was just no physical possibility that he would be able to fit into Villas Boas’ suit. It is unconfirmed that the designers of club sponsored suits, Dolce & Gabanna, have refused to make a suit Rafa size.

Although a lot of other names were bandied about, I decided to investigate the possibility of the man I thought was going to take over last summer, Brendan Rodgers. Speaking to a source close both to the club and Rodgers, it was mentioned that the likelihood would be he would be at “a big club next season.” With hard-pressing subtle follow-up questions like “a big club that plays in blue?”, it’s no surprise the answer was merely a shrug of the shoulders and a wink. Of course this has meant months of smugness quiet confidence. Rodgers has been fantastic at Swansea and although publicly dismissed a move to Chelsea this season, could have been swayed back. So, it’s no surprise after this investigative journalism, that it appears that Brendan Rodgers is on the brink of joining a big club a club that plays in blue Liverpool.

Liverpool had previously been in for Roberto Martinez, but meetings appeared to break down when the big boy papers had nothing to discuss about Martinez except for the poor choice of shoes he wore to the meeting. I’m not implying that John W. is swayed by terrible fashion choices, but after the match reports following their FA Cup loss were more disappointed in Kenneth’s Merseyside formal wear than the poor first hour performance of the club, it’s evident who is making the decisions in the Henry household how much Henry understands about American soccerball football.