Kuyt can make Chelsea blue

The rivalry between Liverpool and Chelsea has been one of the most intense head to heads in European club football in recent seasons and the two 'big four' sides clash in what looks sure to be an exhilarating match at Anfield on Sunday. Pool held sway in the battle between red and blue last term, winning three of their quintet of matches in all competitions. Rafa Benitez's men inflicted the Blues' most recent Premiership defeat on them, which was in this corresponding fixture in January. Subsequently, Chelsea have gone 16 league games unbeaten. Jose Mourinho's charges have a decent overall record when travelling to Anfield, despite being beaten to nil in both of their visits during the 2006/07 campaign, and the south west Londoners were the last team to beat Liverpool on their opening home game of the season in recent years, which was in 2003 when they secured a 1-2 victory. In the intervening three seasons, the Reds have won their first league game of the season in front of the Kop and, to all intents and purposes, I reckon that they will enhance that - and their overall head to head record against Chelsea - by collecting all three points from this fascinating fixture.Both clubs have started the season well, Liverpool beating Aston Villa in their curtain-raising game and then outpointing Toulouse in a Champions League qualifier in midweek. Meanwhile, Chelsea have underlined their resilience by coming from behind to beat Birmingham and Reading respectively. However, Chelsea will find this current Liverpool outfit an altogether different proposition, especially at Anfield where the Reds conceded just seven times in 19 league fixtures last season. The home side have virtually no notable absentees whereas the 'special one' has to travel to Merseyside without Ricardo Carvalho, Arjen Robben, Michael Ballack and Wayne Bridge. In his 50th game in a Liverpool shirt, Dirk Kuyt, who is set to return to the fray after sitting out the midweek win at Toulouse, rates a good bet at 8/1 in the first goalscorer market with Coral. He opened the scoring after just four minutes when Liverpool beat Chelsea 2-0 at Anfield in January, and lightning may well strike twice on Sunday. Indeed, Kuyt, who opened the scoring in seven matches for Pool last term, invariably starts his matches with plenty of zest and, against a Chelsea side that can take a bit of time to warm to their task, particularly away from Stamford Bridge, he will prove a real handful in an encounter which may end with Liverpool winning by a single goal. Verdict: 1pt Dirk Kuyt to score first @ 8/1 (Coral)