Liverpool vs. Chelsea Live: Score, Highlights and Analysis

It seems like only yesterday that Liverpool and Chelsea were on the pitch at Wembley Stadium, battling for the FA Cup...

That's because it practically was only yesterday—Saturday, to be exact.

These two giants of the English Premier League will return to the crime on Tuesday, albeit amidst decidedly different scenery at Anfield. The Reds will be out for revenge for their loss in London last weekend, along with a bit of salvation for the end of their underwhelming season. They're also hoping to avoid finishing outside of the top eight whilst in the top flight for the first time since the 1953-54 season.

The Blues, on the other hand, have their eyes on a spot in the top four and the return berth into the UEFA Champions League that comes with it. This will also mark Fernando Torres' first trip back to Anfield since last year's mega-transfer.

No titles on the line here. Instead, it's time to settle in for a good, old-fashioned grudge match, albeit with a sprinkling of bigger implications here and there.

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 8th at 5:15 p.m. EDT

Liverpool's Merseyside massacre mercifully comes to an end for Chelsea, granting a 4-1 result to the Reds. It's just the sixth home win of the season for Liverpool, which finished the evening with 23 shots, compared to just 11 for the visitors.

The victory gives Liverpool a shot to finish ahead of Merseyside derbymate Everton in the EPL table. On the other end, Chelsea are now locked into sixth place, adding do-or-die consequences to their appearance in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in 11 days.

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 8th at 4:34 p.m. EDT

Liverpool fans can curse Pepe Reina all they like, but they must give him a hand for keeping Romelu Lukaku's header out of the net. Some more fantastic work by Ramires to set up the opportunity goes unrewarded.

Cursing Andy Carroll might be a more defensible move, after the big lug's lob at the other end lands on top of the Chelsea net on the counterattack.

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 8th at 4:23 p.m. EDT

So much for a Chelsea comeback. A poor ball out by the Blues defense winds up on the foot of the unmarked Jonjo Shelvey, who promptly cracks the ball home for Liverpool's fourth goal of the match and his first in the EPL. Needless to say, this match has been nothing short of a disaster for RDM's squad.

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 8th at 4:12 p.m. EDT

Apparently, Chelsea aren't the only side at Anfield who mistake activity for achievement in the box. A flurry of confusion on a set piece leaves Ramires open to put home a ball in by Florent Malouda. Will this be the beginning of yet another comeback for the Blues? 

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 8th at 3:50 p.m. EDT

Stewart Downing finishes the half with two golden opportunities to score his first Premiership goal as a Red...and comes up short on both. First, the former Aston Villa winger bounces one off the top of the crossbar and out of play on a shot from beyond the box.

Then, after Andy Carroll goes down feebly to draw a penalty in extra time, Downing steps up and promptly bangs a shot off the left post. Carroll whiffs on the rebound.

No matter, though. Liverpool still own a 3-0 advantage at halftime, thanks in large part to some disgraceful defending by Chelsea's back line. Terry and Ivanovic have been particularly putrid for the Blues, as has Essien, who looks like little more than a shadow of his former self after suffering a knee injury in preseason training. 

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 8th at 3:37 p.m. EDT

Chelsea haven't given up yet, but can't seem to avoid the post. Fernando Torres sends a rocket from the right side that clangs off the crossbar over Pepe Reina's head and harmlessly out of the box. At least someone for Chelsea is playing with a measure of spirit and industry...

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 8th at 3:30 p.m. EDT

Aaaaand, it's 3-0 in favor of Liverpool before we've even crossed the 30-minute mark. It's a head-to-head score, with Andy Carroll knocking the ball from his noggin to Daniel Agger's and into the net behind Ross Turnbull. Another disastrous bit of defending by a Chelsea side that clearly lacks cohesion.

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 8th at 3:25 p.m. EDT

Another mistake by John Terry leads to another goal by Liverpool, this time off the foot of Jordan Henderson. The Chelsea skipper slipped on the Anfield surface, leaving Henderson open to put the Reds up 2-0

UPDATE: Tuesday, May 8th at 3:20 p.m. EDT

Luis Suarez has opened up the scoring with a fantastic bit of footwork for Liverpool. Luisito dribbled the ball up the right side and along the end line, pas a slew of Cheslea defenders, before chipping the ball in front of the goal and off the leg of Michael Essien.

That should've been an equalizer rather than a lead-taker, but Branislav Ivanovic bounced a header off the post on a Chelsea set piece just minutes earlier.

Then again, had Andy Carroll not sailed this attempt over the Chelsea goal, Suarez's swift moves might've given the Reds a quick 2-0 advantage.

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Here's a look at Liverpool's starting XI for the match, courtesy of SunSport Now:

"

Liverpool team to play Chelsea - Reina, Carragher, Agger, Skrtel, Johnson, Henderson, Maxi, Downing, Shelvey, Suarez, Carroll. #lfc #cfc

— SunSport Now (@SunSportNow) May 8, 2012"

According to Mirror Football, Chelsea caretaker manager Roberto Di Matteo will trot out this lineup on Merseyside:

"

Chelsea team (vs Liverpool): Turnbull, Ferreira, Ivanovic, Terry, Bertrand, Essien, Romeu, Ramires, Sturridge, Torres Malouda.

— MirrorFootball (@MirrorFootball) May 8, 2012"

Tweets of the Night

"Darren Fletcher" caught a pre-match glimpse of Liverpool boss Kenny Dalglish talking tactics with...errrm...Andy Carroll?

"

Dalglish and Carroll discuss tactics before tonights game with Chelsea.. twitter.com/thefletcher24/…

— Darren Fletcher (@thefletcher24) May 8, 2012"

These feisty Arsenal fans were kind enough to point out the lavish spending habits of the biggest clubs in English football, Liverpool and Chelsea included:

"

Net Spend per Trophy 92-'11: Arsenal (10) £2.1m, United (21) £8m, Liverpool (7) £32.3m, Chelsea (12) £43m, Sp*rs (2) £84.5m, City (1) £474m.

— Arteta Olsson Fans (@MikelArteta08) May 7, 2012"

ESPN's Janusz Michallik notes how topsy-turvy this EPL season has been, particularly for the Reds and the Blues:

"

Liverpool in 9th place may not sound right but Chelsea in 6th does not either. #perspective

— Janusz Michallik (@JanuszESPN) May 8, 2012"

Grades for Key Liverpool Players

Luis Suarez: A

Luisito tormented John Terry and the Chelsea defense not with racial epithets, but rather with brilliant boot work. The controversial Uruguayan was the chief engine driving the Liverpool attack, snapping off shots six shots and setting up countless others.

His finest effort, though, came on the Reds' opening goal—an exhilarating bit of wizardry to sneak past a pair of Chelsea defenders, Terry included, before send a shot off the leg of Michael Essien and into the Blues net.

Andy Carroll: A-

 Tuesday was a great day to be among those who'd joined Liverpool on King Kenny's watch. Andy Carroll has come to symbolize all that's wrong with Dalglish's newest reign, both on and off the pitch, though you could hardly tell with the way he played against Chelsea. The expensive target man was a menace to the Blues' back line all night, accounting for five of the Reds' 23 shots and drawing six fouls for good measure.

Grades for Key Chelsea Players

John Terry: D

 "D" is for "disaster" in the case of John Terry. The Chelsea skipper was helpless to mark Luis Suarez and effectively conceded a goal after slipping on the pitch in front of Jordan Henderson in the first half. A yellow card didn't help Terry's case any either.

But, other than that, he had a perfectly pleasant day on Merseyside.

Ramires: A-

 Ramires was the only Chelsea man who unequivocally earned a passing grade on Tuesday. The Brazilian midfielder accounted for the Blues' only goal on the evening and was responsible for setting up a number of other chances, including Lukaku's blocked header in the second half.

Deciding Factor: Defense

Neither team played much, but the sheer volume of mistakes made by Chelsea in their own end is impossible to ignore. Without the Blues' incessant bumbling about, the Reds wouldn't have registered their first four-goal performance in Premiership play since April of 2011.

Man of the Match: Suarez

He made John Terry look like a fool (or, rather, more of a fool than what he already appeared to be) and helped transform the Liverpool attack into a flying death machine, however temporarily.

What's Next?

Both sides will be in action on Relegation Sunday, with Liverpool looking to close its season on a high note against Swansea City at Liberty Stadium and Chelsea welcoming relegation-bound Blackburn for a de facto Champions League tuneup.

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