Lee Dixon: Liverpool can check Chelsea's Champions League charge

It's the Benitez show!

There little left for Liverpool to play for while the high-pressure games keep coming for Chelsea, but Lee Dixon thinks the Reds can give the home support something to cheers when the west London club pay a visit on Sunday 

All eyes on Rafa Benitez then. The Chelsea manager must have the skin of a rhinoceros given the abuse he's taken at Stamford Bridge since taking over from Roberto di Matteo. But still he remains at the helm, seemingly steering the Blues to Champions League qualification.

The Liverpool support retain plenty of affection for the Spaniard who led them to Champions League success in his tenure at the club and is still their most successful manager of the Premier League era. You can be pretty sure the Kop will be singing his name louder than those in the Anfield Road end. Funny old game isn't it?! 

Benitez factor apart, this is a tricky game to predict. With Everton six points clear in the league (before the 3pm kick-offs on Saturday), Liverpool have little to play for this season other than pride. Their home record is middling and the goals have started to dry up for 1.855/6 Golden Boot favourite, Luis Suarez.  

Putting aside the FA Cup semi-final, visitors Chelsea are in the middle of a fixture pile-up but generally seem to be carving out the results they need. Another European trophy is a distinct possibility after reaching the Europa League semi-finals while Champions League qualification is in their hands after beating Fulham in midweek. 

The Europa League game takes place on Thursday and Benitez will have one eye on that. In the Spaniard, the Blues have another Tinkerman in charge and second guessing his team selections is always tricky. He looks certain to make some changes at Anfield.  

It's a muddy picture and picking a winner is tough. The Betfair market is pretty sure though, making Liverpool favourites at 2.186/5 with Chelsea as big as 3.7511/4 and the draw 3.613/5. 

That might look like a short price on a home win but the Opta stats point to a Liverpool victory - Chelsea have won only one of their last six Premier League trips to Anfield, losing four and drawing one, without scoring in three of those games. Tottenham were beaten at Anfield recently and I fancy Brendan Rodgers will have his team pumped up to give the Anfield faithful a morale boosting defeat of a high-profile rival. 

I certainly think it'll be competitive and I'd be eager to put an in-play insurance lay of Liverpool, should hold the lead late on. 

It's tough to play high-pressure games as regularly as Chelsea and I think they're likely to drop points as we head to the climax of the Premier League season, and that could well start at Anfield.

Recommended Bet
Back Liverpool @ 2.226/5 

The Betfair's Trader's View: Alan Thompson

So far this season Liverpool’s record against the sides currently occupying the top six positions reads Played 10 Won 1 Lost 4 drawn 5, their single win game against Tottenham at Anfield (3-2). In all but one of those games (Arsenal home 0-2) both teams scored and eight of those 10 resulted in an over 2.5 goals game.

Chelsea have already won at Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton and come into this after a confidence boosting 3-0 victory at local rivals Fulham. However, that win at Craven Cottage was their only away victory in their last five attempts losing at Newcastle, Man City and Southampton and registering a draw at Reading. In only one of those games did Chelsea fail to score (away at Man City 0-2), the only time in their last 12 Premier League games that they failed to score.

Over 2.5 goals is a little short for me at 1.78 so I will split my stake and start the game by backing over 3.5 goals at 3.0 and then look to back over 2.5 goals when/if it reaches 2.1 in-running.