• Date: Sun 19 August 2007
  • Venue: Anfield
  • Ref: Styles, R
  • Attendance: 43,924
Liverpool

Liverpool

Torres (16)

1 - 1
Chelsea

Chelsea

Lampard (62)P

Liverpool vs Chelsea

Team Lineups

Liverpool

Jose Manuel Reina
Alvaro Arbeloa
Steve Finnan
Daniel Agger
Jamie Carragher
Steven Gerrard
John Arne Riise (Peter Crouch, 83)
Xabi Alonso
Jermaine Pennant (Ryan Babel, 68)
Dirk Kuyt
Fernando Torres

Chelsea

Petr Cech
John Terry
Ashley Cole
Tal Ben Haim
Florent Malouda (Rodrigo da Costa Alex, 85)
Shaun Wright-Phillips (Joe Cole, 77)
Frank Lampard
John Obi Mikel
Michael Essien
Salomon Kalou (Claudio Pizarro, 46)
Didier Drogba


Live Text Commentary
Full time
 

FULL TIME - LIVERPOOL 1 - 1 CHELSEA: Rob Styles brings the game to a close, and there is no doubt he will have some questions to answer after the game. His controversial penalty decision overshadowed the game and gave Chelsea a point

90

Alonso chips a hopeful pass into the box looking for Crouch, but it is too far ahead of him and Cech is able to collect

90

Pizarro tries to run through the Liverpool defence on his own, but is stopped in his tracks by Carragher

90

The fourth official indicates four minutes of added time

88

Babel hits a vicious shot from the edge of the area but hits the side netting

88

Chelsea appear happy to take a point from this game, while Liverpool are pressing in search of a winner

87

There is another stoppage in play as Mikel receives treatment for an injury on the pitch

85
Substitution
 

Alex makes his league debut for Chelsea, and he is brought on for Florent Malouda

84

Finnan picks out Kuyt with a fine cross and his glancing header is tipped over by Cech, but the linesman gives a goal-kick

82
Substitution
 

Peter Crouch is thrown on by Rafa Benitez to give more attacking options in the closing stages. He replaces John Arne Riise

82

Finnan releases Babel on the right flank and his fierce cross finds Riise but his shot is saved by Cech at his near post

80

Liverpool's tempo has dropped since the goal and they have not been able to find their rhythm again. Torres has also drifted out of the game

78

Malouda hits a long range free-kick but it comes off Joe Cole's shin and behind for a Liverpool goal-kick

76
Substitution
 

Mourinho makes another change as he brings off Shaun Wright-Phillips for Joe Cole, who has a good record at Anfield

74

A stoppage in play as Drogba goes down injured and receives treatment

72

Alonso takes the free-kick and hits the wall

72
Yellow Card
 

As Chelsea players surround Rob Styles, John Terry picks up a yellow card for dissent

71

Torres tries to break into the Chelsea box but collides with Ben Haim and wins a free-kick

69
Yellow Card
 

Rob Styles cautions Frank Lampard for a rash challenge on Xabi Alonso

68
Substitution
 

That was Pennant's last involvement in the game as he leaves the field to be replaced by Ryan Babel

67

Pennant crosses from deep and picks out Riise who lets fly on the volley from 12-yards but fails to work Cech

66

Gerrard tears away from the Chelsea defence but loses his footing as he shoots from 18-yards and sends it well wide of the target

64

Both teams pick up the pace and go in search of a goal

62
Yellow Card
 

Tal Ben Haim is shown the yellow card for dissent

62
Yellow Card
 

Liverpool remain livid at the penalty decision, and Jamie Carragher is booked for questioning the referee

61
Goal
 

LIVERPOOL 1 - 1 CHELSEA: FRANK LAMPARD makes no mistake from the spot, placing the ball in the bottom-left corner of the goal.

60
Penalty
 

Florent Malouda appears to jump into Daniel Agger and falls theatrically to the ground. Rob Styles points to the spot - a controversial decision that Liverpool will question after the game

59

Liverpool build down the right flank. Kuyt picks out Alonso on the edge of the area but he drags his shot wide.

58
Yellow Card
 

Ashley Cole catches Torres late and earns himself a booking

57

The resulting free kick from John Arne Riise is disappointing as he drives it into the wall.

56

Pennant is having a game that can only impress the watching England manager. He puts Ashley Cole under pressure and earns a free kick on the right edge of the Chelsea box.

54

Chelsea have lost only one of their last 29 games and have won 17 of them. They are also unbeaten in 16.

53

Kuyt tries his luck from just outside the area but slices his shot over the crossbar and into the stand behind the goal

51

Gerrard's shot is deflected behind for a corner, but it comes to nothing.

50

Liverpool put together an intricate move, involving Torres and Pennant. The winger tries to slide a pass through to Kuyt but Ben Haim puts in a vital interception

48

Wright-Phillips looks a lot happier now he has been moved out to the right flank. He gets a fine cross into the box and picks out Pizarro whose header grazes the post.

47

A Lampard corner is flicked on by Pizarro and Mikel gets his head to the ball, but sends it over the crossbar

45

The Liverpool fans will be happy to see Torres has shaken off his injury. He picks up the ball and tries to work his way into the box, but instead runs into trouble.

45
Substitution
 

There is no surprise in Mourinho's decision to make an attacking substitution, replacing Salomon Kalou with Claudio Pizarro

Second half
 

Rob Styles gets the second-half underway and there has been one change to the Chelsea line-up

Half time
 

HALF TIME - LIVERPOOL 1 - 0 CHELSEA: Rob Styles brings the first-half to a close and the Torres goal after 15 minutes still seperates the sides, in a game of few clear cut chances

45

Torres goes to ground and appears to be injured and leaves the field to receive treatment

43

A Kuyt dummy sends Pennant racing away down the right flank and he reaches the byline, but his cut-back is behind Torres and Chelsea regain possession

42
Yellow Card
 

Steven Gerrard slides in late on John Obi Mikel and picks up a booking

41

Jose Mourinho may already be contemplating half-time substitutions as his team are still yet to force a save out of Reina

39

One or two questions are asked in the Liverpool defence as Lampard's free-kick almost finds an unmarked Terry at the far post

39
Yellow Card
 

Pennant is cautioned for dissent

38

Torres tangles with Terry this time and winds him up in the process as they exchange words

36

There is a definite buzz around the stadium every time Torres picks up the ball and it appears the Kop have a new hero

35

Ashley Cole's cross picks out Drogba at the far post and he tries to slide the ball across goal but Gerrard intercepts

33

The game has become scrappy now and both times battle for the ball

31

Kuyt strikes a bouncing ball on the half-volley but sends it high and wide of Cech's goal

30

Chelsea are yet to work Pepe Reina but are enjoying a decent spell of possession at the moment

29
Yellow Card
 

Dirk Kuyt, who is making his 50th Liverpool appearance today, is cautioned for persistent foul play

27

Wright-Phillips' gets a cross away and his delivery is spot on, but Drogba's header loops over the crossbar

26

After some indecisive Liverpool defending the ball falls to Salomon Kalou, but he cannot get his shot away and Gerrard puts the ball out for a throw-in

24

A Torres cross is met by Riise but his header is straight into the arms of Cech

23

Malouda takes the resulting corner but it is too long and it is easily dealt with

22

After difficulties keeping the wall 10-yards back, Drogba finally gets the shot away from the free-kick but it deflects off Pennant and behind for a corner

20

Florent Malouda goes down a little theatrically after a challenge from Alonso but wins his side a free-kick in a threatening position

18

Torres and Ben Haim tangle in the area and both go to ground, but Rob Styles waves away the Reds' protests for a penalty

16

A dream Anfield debut for Torres as the home faithful sing his name

15
Goal
 

LIVERPOOL 1 - 0 CHELSEA: Gerrard slides a superb pass through to FERNANDO TORRES and the big striker brushes past Tal Ben Haim before confidently slotting the ball past Cech

15

Steve Finnan puts in a cross but Cech plucks the ball off the head of Torres

12

The ball falls kindly for Riise and he hits a driven shot from 30-yards which skims off the wet surface, but it is straight down the throat of Cech

11
Yellow Card
 

Liverpool are still targeting Essien. Arbeloa knocks the ball past him but is then brought down, and the temporary right-back receives the first booking of the game.

9

Gerrard is pulling all the strings for his side in the opening stages. He tries to pick out Alvaro Arbeloa but this time his pass is over-hit.

7

Torres gets in his first shot of the game but the effort is weak, and Cech watches it bobble wide.

5

Riise is seeing a lot of the ball in these early stages and are testing Michael Essien. He gets a cross in and Kuyt chests the ball down for Gerrard, but his fierce strike is blocked by Frank Lampard

4

Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard link-up mid-way inside the Chelsea half but the skipper's shot is well wide

2

Jermaine Pennant's cross finds John Arne Riise unmarked on the edge of the box, but his first touch is poor and Petr Cech gathers the ball

Didier Drogba dispossesses Xabi Alonso and then receives the ball from Shaun Wright-Phillips. He pulls the trigger from range, but drags his shot wide of the mark

Kickoff
 

Referee Rob Styles gets the game underway. It is the first meeting between two of the 'big-four' and Anfield is buzzing

Awaiting Kickoff
 

LIVERPOOL: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Arbeloa, Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso, Riise, Torres, Kuyt. SUBS: Itandje, Hyypia, Crouch, Babel, Mascherano

Awaiting Kickoff
 

CHELSEA: Cech, Wright-Phillips, Ben-Haim, Terry, Ashley Cole, Kalou, Lampard, Essien, Malouda, Obi, Drogba. SUBS: Cudicini, Makelele, Joe Cole, Pizarro, Alex

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has taken pain-killing injections to make the starting line-up for the Reds. Fernando Torres makes his Anfield debut and will line-up alongside Dirk Kuyt.

Awaiting Kickoff
 

Chelsea welcome back skipper John Terry who makes his first appearance of the season. Michael Essien makes his 100th appearance for Chelsea at right-back, while new signing Alex is amongst the substitutes.