Liverpool – Chelsea

1. Someone once told me that if you give an infinite number of monkeys an infinite number of typewriters one of them will eventually write the Bible. He may have been wrong (lying even) but law of averages dictates that Liverpool and Chelsea are bound to produce a decent game of football between them at some point.

2. Round three hundred and twenty six and a half of what has become an intense rivalry in the last couple of years takes place at Anfield this afternoon, and both sides will be hoping to capatalise on main title rivals Manchester United's slip-up earlier today.

3. Hopefully new signings Fernando Torres and Claudio Pizarro can bring some spark to what should be a tight match.

4. John Terry returns to the Chelsea defence and his England colleague Steven Gerrard will start once more in his favoured position in the middle of the park.

5. The strains of You'll Never Walk alone echo around Anfield as the players line up in the tunnel. Jose Reina has just scrached his head.

6. Pizarro is actually starting on the bench this afternoon so the goal-scoring responsibilities rest with Didier Drogba and Salomon Kalou up front for the Blues.

7. The game starts with Chelsea attacking the Kop. And it is the visitors who get us underway.

8. 1'

   Drogba makes the most of some slack defending and has a go from long range. It's well wide and Jamie Carragher (for it was he who dithered) will be pleased with that.

9. 2'

   A terrible touch from John Arne Riise on the edge of the Chelsea penalty area and his poor control allows Cech to come and claim the ball. Perhaps the pass came too early in the game for Riise but he will not get a better chance in the game. Probably.

10. 3'

    The Chelsea fans are singing about cutting grass as Gerrard unleashes perhaps the worst shot of his career. It goes out of play. For a throw-in.

11. 5'

    Michael Essien deflects Riise's cross behind for a corner. Up they come.

12. 5'

    The ball is eventually cleared by Kalou with an acrobatic bicyle kick.

13. 6'

    Drogba and Malouda link up well but neither of them seems to want to have the shot and Liverpool eventually crowd them out.

14. 7'

    At the other end, Torres tries his luck at this shooting malarkey but his effort is also struck wide.

15. 8'

    Reina collects a high ball in from the left from Mikel.

16. 9'

    Another rubbish shot from Gerrard. Closer though this time. A goal-kick is the outcome.

17. 10'

    Dirk Kuyt appeared to have his legs taken away by Malouda but he doesn't complain and the referee didn't see it. Perhaps I imagined it.

18. 11'

    This time the referee saw something and he acts. What he saw was Michael Essien hacking down Alvaro Arbeloa. And what Rob Styles does is show the first yellow card of the game to the Chelsea man.

19. 12'

    Riise fires a shot in from twenty yards out but Cech is well positioned and collects comfortably enough.

20. 13'

    Good strong tackle on Wright-Phillips by Gerrard.

21. 14'

    Xavi Alonso loses possession and puts his team in danger. Fortunately for him the Liverpool centre-halves are on hand to block the path of the oncoming Malouda.

22. 15'

    GOAL: Fernando Torres has opened his Liverpool acount in some style. A wonderful pass from Gerrard slices the Chelsea defence apart. Torres then beats Ben Haim comfortably but still has work to do as he has been pushed wide. The Spaniard then slides the ball past Petr Cech and the ball goes in off the post. A great goal.

23. 17'

    Torres goes down in the box this time under the challenge of Ben Haim but the referee quite rightly waves play on.

24. 18'

    Good tackle on Torres by Mikel but the Liverpool striker is making a real nuisance of himself now.

25. 20'

    Kuyt tracks back to put in a challenge on Essien but is judged to have been a bit too eager in his attempts. Chelsea get a free-kick.

26. 21'

    Malouda goes down theatrically as Alonso puts in a tackle. Didier Drogba will have looked on approvingly at the dive and it is the big Chelsea man who will take the free-kick from twenty -five yards out.

27. 22'

    His effort strikes the part of the wall named Jermaine Pennant for a Chelsea corner.

28. 23'

    A terrible corner and Liverpool deal with it easily. They get the ball back up the park and Kuyt immediately hassles the Chelsea back four. Once more however he puts in a foul and concedes the free-kick.

29. 24'

    A header from twelve yards by Riise goes straight in to the hands of Cech.

30. 25'

    Drogba battles his way through the Liverpool defence and wons a Chelsea throw-in. The ball breaks to Kalou in the penalty area and, just as the goal seemed to be opening up for him, Steven Gerrard appears from nowhere to put in a fantastic challenge and clear the danger.

31. 27'

    Wright-Phillips skips around Arbeloa and delivers a fine cross for Drogba who is unable to direct his header on target. A decent chance for the Blues.

32. 28'

    Kuyt harries Ben Haim prevents the defender clearing the ball up the park. Kuyt is putting a good shift in up front for Liverpool.

33. 29'

    Kuyt is now booked however for persistent fouling.

34. 31'

    A terrible effort from Kuyt goes high in to the Anfield Road stand.

35. 32'

    Good covering tackle from Arbeloa who scampered back to put in a tackle on Drogba.

36. 33'

    Frank Lampard just touched the ball. He has been rather anonymous so far this afternoon.

37. 34'

    Nice work from Ashley Cole down the left and his cross gives Drogba half a chance. Half? Well, two-fifths perhaps. Liverpool get it away.

38. 36'

    Ashley Cole is justifiably furious that he has not won a corner. A guilty-looking Jamie Carragher is seen strolling away whistling.

39. 38'

    Torres fouls Terry blatantly and the referee gives a free-kick.

40. 39'

    It's hotting up a bit now and Jermaine Pennant goes in the book for complaining too heartily to the referee.

41. 39'

    Liverpool nearly pay for his ill thought out words when the ball is whipped in and John Terry just fails to connect with it five yards from goal.

42. 41'

    Jamie Carragher hoofs the ball high out of play to loud cheers from the home support.

43. 42'

    Gerrard is now booked for going in late on Mikel.

44. 43'

    When the free-kick comes in Reina is on hand to take the ball. He sees Pennant in space and feeds him. The winger's cross towards Torres is too far behind the striker though and the chance is lost.

45. 45'

    Torres is down on the floor and appears to be clutching his leg after playing the meat in a Drogba/Mikel sandwich. He is up now though and walking off the pitch for some more treatment.

46. 46'

    Gerrard sportingly returns the ball to Chelsea when play resumes - seventy yards up the pitch and that is it...

47. 46'

    HALF-TIME: Not much between either team and a piece of class from Torres (ably assisted by his captain) is all that separates the teams. Mourinho is likely to bring on a sub or two if things don't change quickly for his side in the second-half.

48. 45'

    Salomon Kalou is off for Claudio Pizzaro.

49. 46'

    Carragher concedes a corner as Malouda tangled with the defender.

50. 46'

    Lampard gets it in and Mikel's header goes just over after Drogba flicked it on. A decent chance but he had little time to think about what to do.

51. 47'

    Wright-Phillips fantastic cross in is met by the head of Pizarro whose first meaningful touch almost goes in to the Liverpool net. Instead it goes just wide, but Wright-Phillips is operating with a bit more freedom down the right in this half.

52. 50'

    Pennant's early ball is met by John Terry and Riise reacts quickest to his knock down. He blasts his shot well over though and perhaps a bit more composure was called for.

53. 51'

    Gerrard's deflected shot goes behind for a corner.

54. 52'

    Essien slices his clearance. Another corner.

55. 52'

    Terry outjumps Carragher but Essien then has to put the ball out for another corner.

56. 52'

    This time Cech collects the ball safely.

57. 53'

    Kuyt snaps somewhat at the ball after some nice one touch football but the final shott is poor and again the ball goes well over the bar.

58. 54'

    Pennant gets back to make a good challenge on Malouda.

59. 56'

    Cole gets himself in all sorts of bother and has to resort to blatant CHEATING by pulling SHIRTS and bringing players DOWN!! Riise or Gerrard will take the free-kick from twenty-two yards out.

60. 57'

    Riise belts the ball against the suspiciously close looking wall.

61. 58'

    Cole is quite rightly booked for leaving out his leg and tripping Torres.

62. 59'

    Pennant beats Cole and then crosses towards Alonso on the edge of the area. The midfielder's shot is poor and he is not having the best of game's today.

63. 60'

    Penalty to Chelsea. Malouda clashes with Danny Agger and Liverpool are harshly punished. The Frenchman seemed to run in to Agger.

64. 61'

    GOAL: Lampard dispatches the ball with typical elan. Chelsea are back in the game - they are fortunate to have been given that chance. A poor refereeing decision from Rob Styles.

65. 64'

    Jamie Carragher has been booked for protesting too loudly about the penalty decision. Harsh.

66. 65'

    Gerrard fashions himelf a shooting opportunity when he shimmies around Ashley Cole. Malouda appeared to clip his heels as he prepared to shoot and Gerrard is unable to trouble Cech with his effort.

67. 67'

    Pennant does well to stretch to reach Gerrard's cross field pass. His cut back to Riise is exquisite but the Norwegian's shot has power and pace but no accuracy.

68. 68'

    Pennant has been taken off and replaced with Ryan Babel.

69. 69'

    Alonso and Lampard had a little tete a tete there. There is bad blood between those two after Lampard broke the Spaniard's ankle a couple of years back.

70. 71'

    Drogba sarcastically applauds Rob Styles decision to award Liverpool a free-kick. Of course, he could have meant his appreciation. Unlikely though.

71. 72'

    Terry is now booked for moaning to the referee. In fact, half the Chelsea players hunted the referee down and cornered him like a pack of complaining dogs.

72. 74'

    Riise exhibits mock amazement at something I admittedly did not see.

73. 75'

    Joe Cole is entering the fray, Wright-Phillips will be leaving it.

74. 78'

    Cole of the Joe raises his hand pleadingly in search of a corner. Rob Stlyes laughs inwardly, mutters 'fools' to himself and walks away from the situation.

75. 81'

    Chelsea are probing around the park in search of an opening which they are unable to find.

76. 82'

    Cech saves with his feet from Riise after good work from Babel. Liverpool have a corner. And here comes Peter Crouch. Farewell John Arne Riise.

77. 83'

    Gerrard's corner is well defended by his England team-mate Frank Lampard.

78. 84'

    Liverpool are denied a corner when Cech appeared to get a fingertip to Kuyt's header.

79. 85'

    They're all coming on now. Alex is replacing Malouda.

80. 86'

    Mikel is down receiving some attention.

81. 88'

    Crouch wins a header but nobody in a red shirt is on hand to capatalise.

82. 89'

    Babel's powerful shot from twenty yards brushes against the side-netting of Cech's goal. Some on the far side of the ground think he has scored. He hasn't - and time is running out for someone to snatch the winner.

83. 90'

    Pizarro, an isolated figure up front as Chelsea play safe, is crowded out by the Liverpool defence on the edge of the eighteen yard line.

84. 92'

    Crouch again wins a header in a dangerous area but Torres can't get to the ball quickly enough.

85. 94'

    FULL-TIME: A controversial penalty decision allowed Chelsea to take a share of the points. Jose Mourinho will certainly be the happier manager this evening.

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