- Balotelli to start as Rodgers recalls big names
- Mourinho throws the book at Suarez
- Gary Neville: Rodgers should be cut some slack
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Where does Martin Skrtel v Diego Costa rank in football's greatest feuds? Email evan.fanning@telegraph.co.uk with your thoughts on this or anything else to do with the game
LIVERPOOL 1 CHELSEA 1
48 min: Yellow card for Ivanovic for pulling back Sterling. Anthony Taylor let the play run on before going back to book the Chelsea full back.
46 min: Skrtel gets across and cuts out a pass before Costa gets on to it. I can't imagine anything more terrifying than fighting either Martin Skrtel or Diego Costa, but then that's probably why I'm sitting here behind a desk.
Peep! Chelsea get the second half underway. No changes at the break.
13.45 We're nearly ready to go. Skrtel and Costa have sharpened their knuckle-dusters at the break so it should be some half. Knuckle-dusters are still a thing, right?
Half time: Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1. Phew! Also square at the break. Liverpool had just the better of it for the first 25 minutes but then Chelsea came back strongly and Rogers' side were on the ropes and hanging on. Skrtel has to be held back from Costa as the players leave the pitch. In short the game has everything bar a controversial goal and, if it wasn't for that pesky goal-line technology, we would have had that too.
45 min: One minute of stoppage time.
44 min: A rare forway forward from Liverpool as Sterling cuts in from the left and picks out Henderson inside the area but his attempted pass to Moreno is too clever by half and Cahill clears.
42 min: Yellow card for Sterling for a NFL-style block on Ramires. The Brazilian went in with his arm raised so is a little bit lucky not to get a booking.
41 min: Liverpool are really struggling now. They can't keep the ball for any length of time at all. Costa comes forward and finds Hazard but his curling shot is saved by Mignolet. Half time can't come quick enough for Brendan Rodgers' team.
39 min: Branislav Ivanovic - the best player in the Premier League this season in my book - bundles his way down the right past Lovren and Moreno but can't pick out his team-mates in the centre.
35 min: Chelsea are right on top now. Ramires gets down the right after a lovely reverse pass from Oscar on the touchline. He cuts it back for Hazard but again it's Johnson who blocks his shot.
34 min: More fussin' and a feudin' between Costa and Skrtel. This is brilliant.
33 min: Sorry about the brief delay in updates – our computer ssytems are performing as effectively as Chelsea’s midfield. What you’ve missed is some increased animosity between Skrtel and Costa (see below for the origins to this battle). Chelsea are coming into it a bit more too. Hazard’s shot is blocked behind for a corner.
26 min: Chelsea have so many gaping holes in their midfield. Matic must have used up all his energy giving the team talk. This time it’s Coutinho who has a free run through the middle of the park but his low shot is saved by Courtois.
22 min: A bit of argy-bargy between Costa and Skrtel who has previous going back to the recent Spain v Slovakia clash. This game is shaping up nicely.
20 min: Big appeal for a penalty for Liverpool as Cahill blocks Sterling's scuffed shot with his shoulder. It was an unorthodox way to deal with the shot but it's not a handball in my book, which is similar to the referees' book but with more pictures. That all came after Henderson made a mess of the old Teddy Sheringham corner routine.
18 min: Balotelli has the ball in the net after a stunning run and pass from Coutinho but the flag is up for offside.
17 min: Here is the proof that Cahills' effort crossed the line. You'd miss the bit of controversy, wouldn't want you?
Goal! Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1 (Cahill 14) Gary Cahill equalises with an assist from goal-line technology. It comes from the corner - Liverpool's failing all season. Or at least one of them. Costa heads on, Terry meets it and Mignolet makes a brilliant stop. It falls to Cahill who swivels and fires the ball back at goal. Mignolet is on the ground but blocks and seems to scramble it away at the second attempt but up steps HawkEye to say the ball was over the line.
12 min: Chelsea come back and Matic launches a deep cross into the penalty area but Johnson shifts across and heads clear. Hazard then gets down the right but Sterling tracks him and deflects his cross behind for a corner.
Goal! Liverpool 1 Chelsea 0 (Can 8) Vindicatiuon for Rodgers! Can has been the standout player on the pitch and he has so much room to wander forward from midfield. he let's fly from distance and, like his earlier shot, it takes a huge deflection - this time off Cahill - and Courtois is back on his heels as the ball flies into the net. Great start from Liverpool.
6 min: Balotelli makes a good run (no, really) in behind the Chelsea defence. He pulls the ball back towards Can but he can't get a shot away. Can is looking good though in a very tight midfield trio with Gerrard and Henderson.
4 min: It's a big test for Balotelli today: Can he beat Gerrard's record from the Chelsea game last April of 8,463 shots in a game without ever coming close to scoring?
3 min: It’s a really lively start at Anfield. Emre Can already looks to have added some much needed steel to Liverpool’s midfield. Hazard then has a first meander for Chelsea but his pass is intercepted by Lovren.
Peep! We're underway at Anfield and Liverpool are straight onto the front foot. Emre Can surges forward and shoots from distance. It takes a defelection off John terry and loops a could of feet wide pof Courtois' left hand post. The belgian comes and claims Gerrard's resulting corner with ease.
12.43 minute of silence for Remembrance Weekend is immaculately observed.
12.40 As you can see the teams are on the pitch. I'm going to go for an underwhelming 1-1 draw. Who's with me?
Ready for action at Anfield pic.twitter.com/u4o0skaIyB
— James Pearce (@JamesPearceEcho) November 8, 2014 
Meanwhile, James Woollard says: "In answer to Graeme, Johnson has a clause in his contract that says he must be picked for Premier League games if fit."
I think he also has clause which says he must be caiught badly out of position at least once per game.
David Prentice writes: "Evan, in my hand I have an envelope containing the name of the journalist who will let down the Telegraph live report team. No funny metaphors, no running jokes and no passion. Just make sure it's not you, okay."
I'm not sure I like where this is heading.
The much sought after Liverpool and Chelsea half and half scarf
"Good afternoon Evan," says Graeme Whittaker. "I am starting to despair of Liverpool's performance this season. Why oh why is Brendan bringing back the failures? I totally agree with Chris Bascombe’s suggested line up. Why bring back Johnson, he is useless, about to leave and dropped by England.
"Why bring back Balo when Borini, who is so committed to the club that he refused to leave, was so much better, more involved and with a greater work rate in Madrid.
"Why drop Toure after his stand out performance also Manquillo who is not even a sub. Is he unfit?
"I hope for Rodgers and all Liverpool fans that the side performs well today and that I am proved wrong but the team picked for Madrid seemed better balanced and more effective than that chosen for today.
"Anyway looking forward to your blog."
At least you're looking forward to something because it doesn't seem like your hopes are high for the game.
12.20 A little glimpse at Nemanja Matic's pre-match team talk here. It's not exactly Any Given Sunday
12.05 Nemanja Matic will be giving the Chelsea team-talk in the dressing room. What will that be like. "I expect it will be like he plays on the pitch - simple and objective," says Jose Mourinho.
12.00 The impressively named Tadd Pole writes "As bad as Liverpool have been up front I think Chelsea would regret not playing a goalkeeper. Might be worthwhile adding him."
Thibaut Courtois is duly added to the team below (though he would have more chance of saving a Balotelli shot from a seat in the stands). That was just a test by the way.
#lfc #cfc teamsheet pic.twitter.com/RJpRXuC84U
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) November 8, 2014 11.40 The teams are in. Brendan Rodgers makes seven changes from the side that lost to Real Madrid on Tuesday but only one (Emre Can for Joe Allen) from the XI that lost so miserably at Newcastle last week. Diego Costa is back in the Chelsea side while Jose Mourinho has gone for the brawn and energy of Ramires instead of the more elusive qualities of Willian.
Liverpool: Mignolet; Johnson, Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno; Henderson, Can, Gerrard; Sterling, Coutinho, Balotelli.
Subs: Jones, Toure, Lucas, Allen, Lallana, Borini, Lambert.
Chelsea: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Ramires, Oscar, Hazard; Costa.
Subs: Cech, Luis, Zouma, Drogba, Mikel, Remy, Willian
11.30am Good morning. Let’s not mess about with long, meandering scene-setters about the souring of a relationship between protégé and master, debates about Steven Gerrard’s best position, Mario Balotelli’s commitment or Diego Costa’s glee when he sees he’s been marked by Kolo Toure.
No, let’s just get straight down to business. The teams for a rain-sodden Anfield are expected any minute but below if Chris Bascombe’s preferred Liverpool starting XI. Agree? Disagree? Let me know.
Evan will be here from 11.30am with team news and build up from Anfield. In the meantime here is Gary Neville on why it is time to give Brendan Rodgers some slack ...
In April, Liverpool fans crowded around the team bus at Anfield buzzing with anticipation for the Chelsea game. There was an almost euphoric sense that the long wait for a Premier League title was nearly over. The mood around the players’ entrance will be very different going into this weekend’s clash with Jose Mourinho’s men.
But let’s be fair and sensible about Brendan Rodgers. No manager should have to go from being the most exciting young coach in the league six months ago to being told he does not know what he’s doing today. Rodgers has shown a talent for calculation, and has been bold enough to take a gamble by leaving senior players out of the side to play Real Madrid.
This is a manager who has been placed in these high-pressure situations for the first time, and has taken a gamble, based on sound reasoning, only to be accused of violating the club’s traditions. We should be lauding him in this early stage of his top-level career for raising the bar for Liverpool in the first place with their second-place Premier League finish in May.
We crave British managers being given a chance in Champions League football. We pray they will grow to be as shrewd as Ferguson, Mourinho, Ancelotti and Guardiola. And as soon as they reach the cusp, and start making big decisions, the headlines veer into extremes. Brendan Rodgers should be cut some slack.
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