FOOTBALL

REDS ARE PRIMED TO BLOW BRIDGE DOWN SAYS ALONSO

Xabi Alonso

Friday October 24,2008

By Paul Joyce

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The heartache and pain endured on their last visit to Stamford Bridge still remains fresh for Liverpool, but Xabi Alonso has the future, rather than exorcising ghosts from the past, uppermost in his mind.

“Being the first team to beat Chelsea at home in the league after all this time would put us in a great position and it would send out an important statement,” said the midfielder.

“Winning at Stamford Bridge could spur us on for the rest of the season.”

If a nagging sense of disappointment initially accompanied Liverpool on their flight back from Madrid in the early hours of Thursday morning, then by the time Rafa Benitez’s side had touched down in John Lennon International Airport the mood had lightened.

Unbeaten records will go on the line in the capital on Sunday lunchtime and the bubbling belief on Merseyside indicates Liverpool are in no mood to surrender.

Winning at Stamford Bridge could spur us on for the rest of the season

Xabi Alonso

The weight of history suggests otherwise, however. Not only are Chelsea unbeaten for four years on their own turf, but Liverpool have won just once in 16 Premier League visits there, managing a paltry six goals in all that time.

It brings a further sense of perspective to the Londoners’ 86-game streak in the Premier League that Alonso was still playing for Real Sociedad in Spain when goals from Patrick Vieira and Edu gave Arsenal a come-from-behind victory in February 2004.

But having helped Liverpool end their Manchester United hoodoo already this term, he refuses to view the task in hand as a mission impossible.

“Beating United in our first big test of the season was very important for our confidence and this is another big test for us,” he said.

“Chelsea have a great record at home in the Premier League – they haven’t been beaten for four seasons – and it is going to be tough. But we honestly feel we are ready to get a good result there.

“We won’t be going to Stamford Bridge with any fear. We respect them as a very good side but we are confident in our own ability and we believe we can win.

“They have shown great form in recent weeks, but we go into every game expecting to win now and Sunday will be no different.”

It is just shy of six months since Liverpool trudged away from Chelsea having seen their Champions League dreams crushed in the semi-final second leg. That Didier Drogba-inspired 3-2 defeat remains the last reverse Benitez’s side have suffered, but Alonso says it will have no bearing when hostilities are renewed.

“What happened against Chelsea last season won’t have an influence on this game,” he said.

“This is a different season, there are different players on both sides, a different manager at Chelsea and we can only focus on what happens during this game.

“We won’t prepare for this game thinking about the Champions League semi-final or by using that for extra motivation.

“I don’t think you can compare this game with what happened at Stamford Bridge last season. Anything can happen on Sunday.

“What we cannot afford to do against Chelsea, though, is start as slowly as we have done in some games. We need to concentrate fully for 90 minutes because the quality of their players means they can punish you at any time.”

Liverpool had started brightly in the Vicente Calderon on Wednesday, Robbie Keane’s early goal reward for an enterprising, thoughtful passage, only to run alarmingly out of steam.

Keane is expected to shake off a groin problem and Alonso a knee problem. Skipper Steven Gerrard will also be available.

The medical bulletin will offset the continuing absence of Fernando Torres, and Alonso said: “In the end we are disappointed with the draw but that was probably a fair result.

“Fernando will be a big loss against Chelsea but we know we can manage the situation.”