Liverpool favourites for Chelsea win

Liverpool went into today’s Barclaycard Premiership match at home to Chelsea with a side unchanged from the one which mauled Spartak Moscow in midweek.

Emile Heskey’s two-goal, all-action display against the Russians proved he is Michael Owen’s best partner – and he started today in appropriate position.

Milan Baros and El-Hadji Diouf had to be content with places on the bench as Liverpool sought to extend their 20-match unbeaten home record, dating back to last December.

For Chelsea, it is all so different.

Beaten at home by West Ham last weekend and humiliated by Viking Stavanger in Norway on Thursday, the west Londoners have much to prove.

They had captain Marcel Desailly back from a hamstring injury which kept him out of the UEFA Cup tie – while Mario Melchiot returned after suspension.

Without a Premiership win on this ground, Chelsea needed to find enough form to drag themselves out of a damaging slump.