Chelsea Need to Rediscover Their Killer Instinct to Overcome Liverpool

If they're at their formidable best, Chelsea will defeat Liverpool on Saturday.

Jose Mourinho’s side has shown this season that, when on form, there are few, if any, teams in the Premier League that can live with it.

Only recent weeks have also outlined that the Chelsea of August and September have disappeared.

Jose Mourinho’s side has relentlessly continued its march in all competitions, remaining undefeated in its opening 16 games of the campaign, yet it appears somewhat fragile—not as in control of matches as it has been.

Manchester United recently snatched a late equaliser at Old Trafford to deny Chelsea three points in a game they should have closed out, while League Two Shrewsbury Town ran them close in the Capital One Cup.

Relegation-threatened QPR almost got a point in last weekend’s London derby at Stamford Bridge, and on Wednesday evening, Maribor secured a surprise draw in the Champions League.

It’s not a crisis; far from it—Mourinho and Chelsea supporters need only look to Manchester City’s woes to see that.

What we’ve seen recently, however, is how the impact of the international break and subsequent injuries have damaged Chelsea’s momentum.

Andre Schurrle continues to struggle—his form taking an even bigger dip since his illness contracted while away with Germany—and Diego Costa’s absence up front has meant Mourinho’s side has lacked that clinical edge from when the Spaniard was in goalscoring form.

The rhythm isn't there. An air of vulnerability has crept in.

Whatever they had in the early stages of the season, Chelsea need to rediscover it ahead of Saturday’s trip to Anfield—and fast.

Indeed, the roles in this fixture are reversed this weekend.

When these sides last met, it was Liverpool most people were tipping for the Premier League.

It was much later in the season, but with injuries, out-of-form strikers and concerns elsewhere, Chelsea were supposed to lose at Anfield in April.

They didn’t.

What we saw instead from Chelsea was a performance worthy of champions.

Mourinho’s tactics outlined the Portuguese's genius, and his players were excellent. Liverpool lost 2-0 and their title credentials went with it.

Facing Chelsea at lunchtime on Saturday, they won't need any more inspiration, with that result still rankling Brendan Rodgers and his players.

They’ll want to get at Chelsea and prove a point as much as their supporters, whose dislike of Mourinho’s Blues runs deep.

Throw in Chelsea’s unbeaten run this season as well as their dominance in the league, and they become an even bigger scalp for a team that has struggled to impress.

This time, nobody expects anything of Liverpool—especially their misfiring striker, Mario Balotelli.

What a time to turn it around against an old foe.

Chelsea must guard against that, and to do so, they need to rediscover the edge that has made them so formidable at times this term.

“[The manager] was not happy and at half-time he showed it. He told us exactly what he wanted in the second half,” Branislav Ivanovic told the Daily Mail after Wednesday’s 1-1 draw with Maribor.

“If we play like that against Liverpool, we know it’s not possible to win.”

Mourinho himself spoke about his frustration of watching his team underperform in Slovenia, telling reporters there was "no intensity, no creativity. It was easy for Maribor to control the game."

That quote can be applied to any of Chelsea’s last few outings since October’s internationals, save for the 2-1 victory over Crystal Palace and 6-0 thumping of Maribor at home.

The symptoms of a crisis are becoming dangerously common. While any team will meet a dip at some stage of the season, it can’t afford to concede ground when facing its rivals—regardless of how far ahead of them it is.

Now's the time for Chelsea, which has 12 more points than Liverpool, to punish teams with aspirations of lifting the Premier League come May—not leave the door of hope ajar.

Given how far this Chelsea team has come, it’s perhaps harsh to criticise it too much after some average performances, but the proof is in the pudding—things are not as merry as the league table suggests.

They must improve against Liverpool.

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Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter @garryhayes.