Chelsea Need to Rediscover Their Killer Instinct to Overcome Liverpool
Jose Mourinhoโs 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 Mourinhoโs side has relentlessly continued its march in all competitions, remaining undefeated in its opening 16 games of the campaign, yet it appears somewhat fragileโnot 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 Twoย Shrewsbury Town ran them close in the Capital One Cup.
Relegation-threatened QPR almost got a point in last weekendโs London derby at Stamford Bridge, and on Wednesday evening, Maribor secured a surprise draw in the Champions League.
Itโs not a crisis; far from itโMourinho and Chelsea supporters need only look to Manchester Cityโs woes to see that.
What weโve seen recently, however, is how the impact of the international break and subsequent injuries have damaged Chelseaโs momentum.
Andre Schurrle continues to struggleโhis form taking an even bigger dip since his illness contracted while away with Germanyโand Diego Costaโs absence up front has meant Mourinhoโs 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 Saturdayโs trip to Anfieldโand 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 didnโt.
What we saw instead from Chelsea was a performance worthy of champions.
Mourinhoโs 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'tย need any more inspiration, with that result still rankling Brendan Rodgers and his players.
Theyโll want to get at Chelsea and prove a point as much as their supporters, whose dislike of Mourinhoโs Blues runs deep.
Throw in Chelseaโs 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 Liverpoolโespecially 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.
โ[The manager] was not happy and at half-time he showed it. He told us exactly what he wanted in the second half,โ Branislav Ivanovic told the Daily Mail after Wednesdayโs 1-1 draw with Maribor.
โIf we play like that against Liverpool, we know itโs not possible to win.โ
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 Chelseaโs last few outings since Octoberโs 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 canโt afford to concede ground when facing its rivalsโregardless 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 Mayโnot leave the door of hope ajar.
Given how far this Chelsea team has come, itโs perhaps harsh to criticise it too much after some average performances, but the proof is in the puddingโthings 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.
