Liverpool Follow Torres to Stamford Bridge to Battle Chelsea

All eyes will be on former Kop favourite Fernando Torres who is expected to make his debut for Chelsea against Liverpool after his £50m transfer earlier this week.

The Spanish striker, who became the most expensive British signing in his departure from Merseyside, is favoured to start alongside Didier Drogba in a formidable Chelsea attack, against a Liverpool defence that have kept three clean sheets since their 2-2 draw against Everton.

Torres, the scorer of both goals when Liverpool won 2-0 against Chelsea earlier this season, will be hoping to manage a similar feat for his new employers.

Chelsea will have another new face in their squad for the match; centre back David Luiz is also available for selection and may start due to the absence of Alex, with a knee injury. Benayoun and Zhirkov are also injured.

Liverpool’s new look strike-force is a man light; £35m Newcastle import Andy Carroll is still a month or so away from recovering from injury, which just leaves new recruit Luis Suarez to lead the line. The Uruguayan striker was brought in from Ajax, and scored on his debut in midweek against Stoke.

Danish midfielder Christian Poulsen is expected to overcome a back spasm that kept him out of the midweek fixture, whilst Joe Cole will not be risked with a knee strain.

Premier League 09/10:

Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea

Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool

Premier League 10/11:

Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea

Chelsea vs Liverpool Half-Time Update

At half-time at Stamford Bridge the score is Chelsea 0-0 Liverpool, where the main storyline so far is the Chelsea debut of Fernando Torres against his old club.

The news everyone was half expecting beforehand was confirmed shortly before fans started to arrive at the London ground; Fernando Torres has started the game alongside Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka in a Chelsea attack. The Spanish striker scored an incredible 81 goals in 142 appearances for Liverpool before a £50m transfer was finalised on deadline day.

The game’s first showing of nerves came after just two minutes and nearly cost Liverpool; Maxi misplaced a pass inside his own half that fell to the feet of Torres, however his eventual shot ended up five yards over the bar.

Torres is presently favourite to score the first goal, however with all the focus currently on the Spaniard, the goals may come from elsewhere - Didier Drogba has history in this fixture, having netted five times in his last eight meetings with Liverpool, and is also 9/2 to score next.

Chelsea utilised Ashley Cole’s acceleration and awareness after 23 minutes, when a fantastic Lampard diagonal pass found Cole arriving in behind the Liverpool defence, however his first time side-footed cross was cancelled out by a stretching Martin Skrtel.

Torres had another glorious chance after half an hour, after Didier Drogba cut out a spell of deep Liverpool possession, rolling a pass into the path of Torres, who was denied by a diving block from Jamie Carragher.

Soon after, Liverpool had their first chance of the game that should have been converted; Maxi got on the end of a drilling Gerrard cross across the goal, but his effort only could find the Chelsea bar from two yards out.

Interim manager Kenny Dalglish has made a good start in charge of his beloved Liverpool side, with victories in his last three games, however he faces up against Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea side who have won their last three Premier League matches.

The team news beforehand, aside from leaving Suarez on the bench, is the return of key defender Carragher, who makes his first start since injuring his shoulder in November.

The theme of old teammates meeting today continues with Glen Johnson playing as Liverpool’s marauding right-footed left wing-back. Joe Cole, the other Liverpool player formally of Chelsea, doesn’t even make the bench.

Chelsea:Cech, Ivanovic, Cole, Bosingwa, Terry, Essien, Lampard, Mikel, Torres, Drogba, Anelka

Substitutes: Turnbull, Luiz, Ferreira, Malouda, McEachran, Sala, Kalou

Liverpool:Reina, Johnson, Agger, Carragher, Kelly, Skrtel, Meireles, Gerrard, Maxi, Lucas, Kuyt

Substitutes: Gulacsi, Aurelio, Kyrgiakos, Poulsen, Suarez, Jovanovic, Ngog