Liverpool vs. Chelsea: 10 Key Matches in the History of the Rivalry

The Liverpool-Chelsea rivalry is a strange one. It's not as passionate or as storied as Liverpool's rivalry with Manchester United or Chelsea's rivalries with United or the North London clubs. It's a recent rivalry, catalyzed by the arrival of Roman Abramovich and Chelsea's subsequent rise to success and sudden position as a threat to Liverpool's longstanding dominant position within English football. It's the EPL's "history team" versus the team often met with jeers of "you ain't got no history."

In chronological order, here are 10 key matches in the history of this recent, but nevertheless contentious rivalry. If you have memories of these matches you'd like to share or other key moments, as always, have at it in the comments. 

Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool: August 17th, 2003

The August 2003 match at Anfield was a pivotal moment for Claudio Ranieri's Chelsea squad: it was the first Premier League match since Roman Abramovich had taken over the club that summer and the first opportunity to test a number of new and rather expensive signings, among them the £15 million Juan Sebastián Verón, Damien Duff and Claude Makélélé. 

Verón looked to be a return on Abramovich's investment, scoring the opening goal, later matched by Michael Owen on a penalty shot. But it was then-Chelsea veteran Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink who sealed the win for the Blues with a goal after coming on as an impact sub. 

Chelsea 1-0 Liverpool: January 1st, 2005

Joe Cole scored the sole goal of this clash at Anfield—it wouldn't seem like a significant win, and both sides put in valiant efforts, but it was one that would put Chelsea on the path that would lead them to their first Premiership title and their first top-flight English football title in 50 years.

By taking out a team that had previously been (and still were/are) one of English football's juggernauts, Chelsea were able to begin to contribute to the building of a Premiership dynasty.

Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool: February 27th, 2005

The Reds and Blues met in the final of the 2005 Football League Cup in Cardiff, their first meeting in a key cup final competition, at a key time for both sides. Liverpool and Chelsea were both testing new managers in their first year who were eager to take home more silverware to follow up on their successes from the previous season: José Mourinho had led FC Porto to the Champions League and Rafa Benitez netted a UEFA Cup with Valencia. 

Liverpool set the momentum with a thunderous goal from John-Arne Riise in the first minute, breaking the League Cup record for fastest goal. The Reds then held the lead for most of the match, until a wayward Steven Gerrard header landed into the Reds' net for an equalizing own goal. Chelsea would go on to seal the cup win in the forced extra time thanks to goals from Mateja Kezman and Didier Drogba. It was Chelsea's first title under Roman Abramovich and the first piece of silverware they'd take home under "The Special One."

Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea: May 3rd, 2005

If there's one match that defines the Liverpool-Chelsea rivalry, it's this one. The second of several key Champions League meetings between Red and Blue, this was by far the most dramatic and perhaps the most contested. 

Both teams came in hungry for a win after a 0-0 draw in the first round of the Champions League semi-finals. John-Arne Riise, Didier Drogba and the rest sent ball after ball towards the net, but none found their way in for a frustrating scoreless match. Someone had to win this next one. 

Victory came to the Reds in the form of a "Phantom Goal": four minutes into the match, Steven Gerrard slid a ball to Milan Baros, who tried to find the goal. Petr Cech neutralized Baros' attack, but in the process, Luis Garcia managed to get the ball free and tap it into the goal. José Mourinho referred to it as a "Phantom Goal," saying the ball never crossed the line, although motion experts later determined the ball did cross the line.

Liverpool went on to Istanbul and their fifth Champions League title, and the match and the "Phantom Goal" became immortalized in a popular chant around the Kop at that time, to the tune of the 'Hokey Pokey': 

"Did the ball go in? 
Did the ball go out? 
In out, In out 
The Kop were in no doubt 
We all went to Istanbul 
And Chelsea were out 
And that's what it's all about!"

Liverpool 2-1 Chelsea: April 22nd, 2006

Liverpool and Chelsea would meet again the following season in a domestic cup competition, this time the FA Cup semi-final at Old Trafford. John-Arne Riise would kick off the scoring once again at 20 minutes in and Luis Garcia expanded upon the lead. A scorcher from Drogba put Chelsea on the board, but it wasn't enough and this time it was Liverpool who advanced. 

The Reds would go on to defeat West Ham United on penalties in the final and take home their seventh and most recent FA Cup. 

Liverpool 1-0 Chelsea: May 1st, 2007

Red and Blue met once again in the Champions League, this time in the semi-finals. Chelsea had taken a 1-0 win at the Stamford Bridge on a goal from Joe Cole, and with Daniel Agger making tonight's score 1-0 at Anfield, drawing the aggregate scores, it was left to a nail-biter of a shootout, another dramatic chapter in the ever-growing rivalry. 

Misses from Arjen Robben and Geremi meant a Dirk Kuyt penalty shot that found the net sent Liverpool to the Champions League finals, where they would ultimately see defeat at the hands of AC Milan. 

Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool: April 30th, 2008

At this point, it was becoming a pattern fans were learning to expect: Chelsea and Liverpool, Liverpool and Chelsea, and yea, the twain shall meet in crucial Champions League matches. This time, Chelsea would emerge as the victors, hungry for a win at the Stamford Bridge after a draw at Anfield.

Goals from Didier Drogba and Fernando Torres respectively forced another draw, which brought the match into extra time. There, the Blues struck back, with Drogba and Frank Lampard scoring in extra time. Ryan Babel put the last one in the net, but it wasn't enough and Chelsea secured their first Champions League advancement over their tournament rivals. 

It would be Chelsea's first trip to the Champions League final, as they faced another English team, Manchester United in Moscow (United won). 

Chelsea 3-1 Liverpool and Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool: Champions League, April 2009

It was England vs. England in the 2009 Champions League quarterfinals and the sixth time Chelsea and Liverpool would square off in the tournament. A Fernando Torres goal in the first leg meant things started off favorably for the Reds, but Branislav Ivanovic fired back with a brace and then Drogba fired to seal the Blues' win. 

The second leg at Stamford Bridge would be a hard-fought draw with tenacious performances from both sides: once again, the Reds struck first with goals from Aurélio and Xabi Alonso and held the lead into the second half, before goals from Didier Drogba and Alex within five minutes of one another equalized the score, with Lampard scoring the go-ahead. Liverpool regained the lead on goals from Lucas and Dirk Kuyt, but it was Lampard once again, scoring with just a minute left in regulation, who equalized. 

With the score, Chelsea won on aggregate after winning the first leg, advancing to the semifinals of the tournament, where they would be defeated by eventual champions Barcelona. 

Liverpool 2-0 Chelsea: November 7th, 2010

It would also be the last time Fernando Torres would appear on the red side of the rivalry: he wrote another chapter in the feud when he made his exit to Chelsea (much to the dismay of Liverpool supporters) to the tune of £50 million, followed by Raul Meireles in August.

In the end, Liverpool fans would get the last laugh that season, as the Reds would win 1-0 in their second meeting of the season, and it looked as though Torres would be a transfer flop, suffering from a major goal drought.

Chelsea fans got their rebuttal though, as Torres has returned to form, breaking his goal drought and even getting some action in the Champions League.