Good morning! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for today's huge Premier League clash between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield. These two sides have developed a heated rivalry in recent years, so we should be in for another entertaining clash today. Let's start with a look at the hosts...

Liverpool have struggled to replicate last season's success and performance levels so far this term, with the Reds sitting seventh in the table going into today's match. The silver lining for the Reds is that their fellow challengers for a top four spot have also dropped points regularly, but Rodgers will know that significant improvement is needed sooner rather than later if they are to maintain their place in the Champions League next season.

Even that represents a change in priorities from the start of the campaign, with Liverpool going into the season hoping to launch another title challenge having come so close last season. However, defeat this afternoon would all but end their title aspirations, as they would then be 15 points behind Chelsea in the table. Even the 12-point gap that currently separates the two sides may well be unassailable with Chelsea in such good form.

Victory today, however, would begin to change the complexion of their season and, if they can cut the gap down to nine, then perhaps belief would start to grow on Merseyside once again. If they are to emerge victorious, though, they will need an improvement on their recent performances in the league, with Liverpool failing to impress with the exception of a 3-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur towards the start of the campaign.

Brendan Rodgers's side fell to their fourth defeat of the season last weekend as Newcastle continued their resurgence with a 1-0 victory, and they are now just two losses short of their tally for the whole of last term. Even their victories have not been entirely convincing, needed a late own goal to beat QPR following a frantic finish to the game and scraping past the likes of West Bromwich Albion and Southampton.

There are plenty of issues for Rodgers to deal with at the club, but a new one is their lack of firepower up front. They found the net 101 times in the league last season, but with Suarez gone and Sturridge injured, they have only managed 13 in 10 matches this time around. No team has scored fewer in the top half, while Lambert, Balotelli and Borini are yet to score a Premier League goal between them this season. Indeed, Liverpool as a team have failed to score in four of their last five games in all competitions, with only a couple of late goals against Swansea preventing it from being five in a row.

That Swansea game is Liverpool's only victory in their last five outings in all competitions, although two of those matches have come against the mighty Real Madrid. Liverpool applied themselves very well at the Bernabeu in midweek, with their eventual 1-0 defeat far from the mauling many were expecting. There was a lot of talk over Rodgers's team selection for that match as he named a side more used to League Cup action, but the manager was slightly vindicated with how the fringe players performed.

Defensively, there are still plenty of problems for the Reds. It is where they lost the title last season, and despite a number of additions in the transfer market, they have not improved at the back. They have kept just two clean sheets in their last 16 league matches, the most recent of which came in a 0-0 draw with Hull City last month. The Reds have six points fewer this season than they did at the same stage last term, and they can't afford to fall too much further behind that pace they set.

Chelsea, meanwhile, are the pacesetters for the whole league so far, leading the way with a four-point gap between them and second-placed Southampton. Victory this evening would send them seven points clear for a few hours at least, while the gap between them and Manchester City would grow to nine points. It is a good chance for Mourinho's side to pile the pressure on the chasing pack, but he will know that his side are in for a tough match tonight.

They have dropped just four points in the league all season, and they have come in arguably their toughest two tests so far. Manchester City were rather fortunate to come away with a point at the Etihad earlier in the campaign, while Manchester United needed a late Robin van Persie equaliser to share the spoils a couple of weeks ago. After today, they will have come through most of what are expected to be their toughest tests this season, and if they can remain unbeaten then it is hard to see them being stopped in the title race.

Their good form has not been limited to the Premier League either. They are unbeaten in all competitions this season, a run of 16 matches that includes 12 victories and four draws. Their last defeat in any competition came at Stamford Bridge in the Champions League semi-finals, when they were beaten 3-1 by Atletico Madrid.

The Blues did come away with a disappointing result in the Champions League this week, however, drawing 1-1 with a much-improved Maribor side in Slovenia. Many Chelsea fans may have been expecting a comfortable three points that would have put them on the brink of qualification for the knockout stages, but Maribor performed admirably to pick up a point. Eden Hazard had the chances to win the game for his side, missing a penalty and a one-on-one, but ultimately they couldn't overcome a spirited performance from the Slovenian champions.

That game was a far cry from the 6-0 drubbing Maribor received at Stamford Bridge a fortnight earlier, and it was a rare example of Chelsea being wasteful in front of goal. Diego Costa has been overtaken in the goalscoring charts by Aguero now, but the Spanish international has helped his side score 26 goals this season - the highest tally in the division. Indeed, they have found the net twice as much as Liverpool, while their shot conversion ratio of 23% is the best in the league.

They have been sound defensively too, which is nothing new for Mourinho's sides. Only Southampton have conceded fewer goals in the league this season, although there have been a relative lack of clean sheets that may trouble Jose Mourinho. Opposition sides tend to find a way through at some point, despite the formidable back line Chelsea boast, and that will give Liverpool some hope going into this match.

Liverpool were renowned for being fast starters last season, but Chelsea have looked to employ that tactic at times this term. They have already scored four goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches this season, although there will be a concern for Mourinho that his side tend to either tire or lose concentration as the match progresses. The Portuguese manager is usually a master of seeing out victories, but half of the goals his side have conceded in the league this season have come in the final 15 minutes.

TEAM NEWS: There was always going to be plenty of interest surrounding the teams today given Rodgers's decision to rest a number of players at the Bernabeu, but as expected the Reds have recalled a number of players, including Gerrard, Sterling, Lovren and Balotelli. Chelsea, meanwhile, welcome Costa back into the starting lineup, while Azpilicueta returns from suspension. Full teams for both sides coming right up...

LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Mignolet; Johnson, Skrtel, Lovren, Moreno; Gerrard, Can, Henderson; Coutinho, Sterling; Balotelli

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Jones, Toure, Lambert, Lallana, Lucas, Allen, Borini

CHELSEA STARTING XI: Courtois; Ivanovic, Cahill, Terry, Azpilicueta; Matic, Fabregas; Ramires, Oscar, Hazard; Costa

CHELSEA SUBS: Cech, Zouma, Filipe Luis, Mikel, Willian, Remy, Drogba

What can we make of those two teams, then? Well, it is no surprise to see a number of changes to Liverpool's side given Rodgers's decision to rest so many players against Real Madrid. The fringe players who performed admirably at the Bernabeu would have given the manager something to think about in terms of team selection this afternoon, but the likes of Gerrard, Sterling and Balotelli are all restored to the starting lineup.

A lot of focus will, as ever, be on Balotelli this afternoon. Liverpool looked a lot more energetic with Borini leading the line against Madrid, while Balotelli's lack of movement seems to spread throughout the entire team. The Italian is still looking for his first Premier League goal for the club, and it is now 689 minutes since he last found the back of the net in England's top flight.

Perhaps the most surprising omission in midweek was Sterling, who could have carried a threat on the counter for Liverpool. However, the teenager, who has already admitted to feeling tired once this season, was given a rest and should be fit and firing for this match now. He was Liverpool's best player in the early stages of the season, but his performance levels have dropped of late and Rodgers will be hoping that only a sub appearance at the Bernabeu will help to recharge his batteries.

The same applies to Gerrard, who had played every minute of every Premier League and Champions League game before being named on the bench on Tuesday. Can retains his place in the middle of the park alongside the skipper, while there is also a spot for Henderson again. At the back, Toure is dropped to the bench despite receiving plenty of plaudits for his performance against Madrid, with Lovren coming back in alongside Skrtel. Johnson also returns to the side in place of Manquillo.

While it was not as drastic as Rodgers's changes, Mourinho also took the opportunity to rest a couple of players in the Champions League on Wednesday. Costa and Oscar both started that match on the bench, although they were introduced at half time following a tepid first 45 minutes in Slovenia. They both return to the starting lineup this afternoon, while Ramires is also included in midfield.

Chelsea's midfield gives them such good balance as a team, with Fabregas pulling the strings creatively and Matic breaking up the opposition's attacks. The former has made a brilliant start to life back in the Premier League, picking up nine assists in his 10 outings so far as well as weighing in with a goal of his own. Matic, meanwhile, is one of the first names on the teamsheet now having impressed since rejoining the club last season.

There are three changes at the back from the draw with Maribor, all of which were expected. Courtois returns in goal after Cech featured in midweek, while Cahill and Azpilicueta are also included. While Filipe Luis is certainly not a bad replacement, Mourinho will be happy to have Azpilicueta back from suspension as he is a fine one-on-one defender, which is likely to come in handy against Sterling.

PREDICTION: We are 10 minutes away from kickoff at Anfield, which means that it is time for a prediction! This is a tough one to call as it entirely depends on which Liverpool side turn up. If they put in a display full of energy like they did against Real Madrid then they may get something out of the game, but a repeat display to the ones we have seen all too often this season would surely result in defeat. I would not at all be surprised to see Chelsea come away with all three points, but I'm going to back a 1-1 draw.

We couldn't separate these two sides on the Sports Mole Sofa this week, with both panellists going for a 1-1 draw. Have a look at what we had to say in our video preview below:

This fixture will, of course, evoke some painful memories for Liverpool fans. An untimely slip from Steven Gerrard in the corresponding fixture last season saw Demba Ba race through on goal and send Chelsea on their way to a 2-0 victory that dealt a major blow to Liverpool's title ambitions. Chelsea have only won consecutive games against Liverpool at Anfield once in their history before, so could create a small slice of history if they can double that tally this afternoon.

Indeed, the Blues have a good recent record against Liverpool, losing just one of their last six meetings in league and cup. The two clubs had a number of memorable battles in the Benitez era for the Reds, and Chelsea tended to get the better of them in the league. It was a different story in the Champions League, but Mourinho knows how to grind out a result in the Premier League, as he has shown many a time.

The minute silence in remembrance of the First World War is impeccably observed at Anfield, and we are now just about ready to go on Merseyside.

KICKOFF: Liverpool get us underway at Anfield as they look to exact a measure of revenge over Chelsea for last season's defeat. Can they do it, or will Chelsea's fine form continue?

CLOSE! An early sight of goal for Liverpool as Can strides forward from midfield before letting fly from 25 yards. His strike deflects off Terry, which sends the ball looping over Courtois and just wide of the post.

Liverpool continue to apply early pressure, with Gerrard floating a free kick into the area. It is only cleared as far as Coutinho on the edge of the box, but his first-time volley is sliced easily into the arms of Courtois.

Hazard shows his quick feet for the first time, spinning away from Gerrard all too easily before looking for a pass to Costa, but Lovren gets a vital interception on the edge of his own box.

Superb pass from Moreno as he floats the ball over the defence for Balotelli, who has made a good run behind the defence. The striker brings it down well and digs out a cross, but Terry is there to clear the danger.

Good spell of possession for Liverpool as they knock the ball about confidently in defence. It is all coming in front of Chelsea right now, but Rodgers will be confident with the start his side have made to this match.

First blood to Liverpool! Can had one effort earlier in the match that deflected narrowly wide, but this time he gets luckier as another long-range effort struck the back of Cahill and flew past a helpless Courtois. Very unlucky for Chelsea, but they weren't quick enough out to the midfielder. That may will go down as a Cahill own goal.

Rodgers will be very encouraged with this start. The fans are in full voice following that goal, and the hosts are playing some good stuff in the opening exchanges. There was a large slice of luck involved in the goal, but Liverpool have deserved the lead so far.

Poor play from Gerrard as he turns into traffic just outside his own box. Costa gets the ball and advances into the area, but his effort is well blocked by Skrtel.

Chelsea have their equaliser! It is a very scrappy one as Liverpool struggle to deal with a corner into the box. The ball is flicked on to Terry, who turns it goalwards from close range. Mignolet pulls off a magnificent save to deny the Chelsea skipper, but the ball bounces back out to Cahill. He fires it in and initially is looks as if Mignolet has made another incredible stop, but the keeper carried the ball slightly over the line, and Hawkeye confirms that it was a goal.

Liverpool's lead lasted just five minutes, then, and Mourinho will be delighted that his side responded so well to falling behind. Set pieces are likely to be a big threat for his side today given their aerial prowess and Liverpool's struggles to defence them.

How do Liverpool respond now? They had made a very bright start to the match, but that equaliser will have knocked their confidence a little.

Balotelli finally has the ball in the back of the net for Liverpool in the Premier League, but it is correctly ruled out for offside. It was superb play by Coutinho is create the chance, lifting the ball over one defender before sliding his pass through, but Cahill had stepped up to play Balotelli off.

CHANCE! Big chance for Liverpool to regain the lead! It is a well-worked corner as Gerrard plays a low ball into the box for Henderson, but the midfielder mis-hits it. It comes back out to Sterling, whose strike from the edge of the box is blocked by the shoulder of Cahill. A possible claim for a handball there, but the referee is having none of it.

Costa and Skrtel square up here as the striker gives the Liverpool man a nudge in the back when chasing a long clearance forward. He is correctly penalised for a foul, but then appears to say something to Skrtel afterwards that draws a reaction from the defender. The referee opts not to go to the book, but that is one that looks to be bubbling under the surface nicely.

This one is set up quite nicely after the first 25 minutes. A couple of early goals are exactly what this match needed to get it going, and both sides will be fairly pleased with how they have performed so far.

SAVE! Brilliant play from Coutinho as he spins away from one man before bursting straight through midfield. He gets to within shooting range and drives a low strike towards the bottom corner, but Courtois is down well to make the save and Ivanovic completes the clearance.

Sterling is the next player to make an encouraging run forward from midfield, but his attempted pass round the back of the defence does not find Balotelli. A waste of a decent position, but you can see what the youngster was trying to do.

SHOT! Costa is again able to turn and drive into the area. He goes for goal from the left side once more, but his strike takes a slight deflection on its way over the top.

Good spell of possession once again for Liverpool as they test the Chelsea defence with a couple of forward passes in the final third. The visitors are looking very organised at the moment, though, and deal with the danger comfortably.

Henderson is penalised for two fouls in quick succession, the latter of which sees him clatter into Fabregas late. Anthony Taylor has a word with the midfielder, who might be one foul away from a yellow card.

Quick break from Chelsea as Ramires and Oscar combine to set up Hazard, who tries to bend a first-time effort past Mignolet. However, Johnson makes a decent block to deny the Belgian.

Costa is really trying to put himself about up front, and he is involved in a fascinating battle against Skrtel at the moment. Those two have clashed on a number of occasions, and I doubt it is the last we have seen of it.

Good pressure from Chelsea as Oscar again slides the ball to Hazard, who once more sees his first-time effort blocked by Johnson. Moments later Costa sends a weak effort into the arms of Mignolet.

Following a period of sustained pressure, Liverpool break out courtesy of a neat turn from Balotelli, who slid the ball in for Sterling. The winger created a yard to send an inviting ball in towards the front post, but there is no-one there to tuck it home.

Poor defending from Liverpool as he gets past Lovren far too easily on the right wing before breaking through a weak challenge from Moreno. Gerrard comes in to mop up, but his clearance bounces back off Ivanovic and into the arms of Mignolet.

SAVE! Chelsea come forward again here, with Costa leading the charge. He plays a square pass for Hazard, who creates space to shoot on the edge of the box, but his low strike is easily saved by Mignolet.

YELLOW CARD! Sterling becomes the first name in the book this afternoon as he blocks Ramires off the ball. He took an arm to the face for his troubles, but it was a cynical one from the youngster so he can't have any complaints.

Chelsea are ending this first half very strongly, with Liverpool unable to keep hold of the ball at the moment. They are finding it tough to play out from the back due to Chelsea's high pressure.

There will be just one minute of added time at the end of this first half.

Anthony Taylor brings an end to a fascinating first half, with the sides locked at 1-1 at the interval. Both teams have performed pretty well so far and will feel confident of their chances of going on to claim the victory in a second half that is very nicely set up.

It was Liverpool who opened the scoring inside the first 10 minutes as Emre Can fired an effort towards goal that struck the back of Cahill and deflected past a helpless Courtois. It may well go down as a Cahill own goal, but Can will certainly be claiming it.

The lead lasted just five minutes, however, as Cahill was again heavily involved at the other end. Mignolet made a superb stop to deny Terry initially after the skipper had flicked a header forward from close range, but the ball dropped to Cahill, who squeezed the rebound over the line despite Mignolet's best efforts. It didn't look to be over on first viewing, but the goal-line technology confirmed that it did indeed cross the line.

Aside from the goals, perhaps the best chance of the first half fell the way of Liverpool as Gerrard's low corner found Henderson in a yard of space inside the box. The midfielder had a clear shot on, but failed to connect with the ball as the chance went begging. There was a penalty shout moments later, but the balls truck the shoulder of Cahill rather than his arm.

Courtois was also forced into a decent stop to deny Coutinho following a good run from the Brazilian, while at the other end Mignolet got down well to save a low strike from Hazard. Liverpool's keeper has been well protected by those in front of him so far, with the hosts making a lot of blocks in important positions.

KICKOFF: Chelsea get us underway for the second half, They ended the first period very strongly and will look to pick up where they left off at the start of this half.

YELLOW CARD! Ivanovic goes into the book early in this second half for a tug on the shirt of Sterling. He can have no complaints about that one.

Chelsea enjoy a good spell of possession in the Liverpool half as Hazard and Oscar link up to threaten down the left side. The latter eventually creates space to shoot from the edge of the box, but his tame curling effort is a few yards wide of the target.

CHANCE! Costa almost makes something out of nothing with a fine effort that he is unfortunate to see go over the top. Hazard chips a clever ball over the top which Lovren can only deflect up into the air. Costa turns and attempts a bicycle kick, but he shins it and sends it over the top.

SAVE! Fine goalkeeping from Courtois as he gets down very quickly to deny Sterling. The winger lined up Ivanovic and cut inside onto his right foot before drilling an effort towards the bottom corner. Courtois makes the stop, and also pushes the ball away from Balotelli, who was lurking dangerously.

CHELSEA SUB: The first change of the afternoon comes from the visitors as Ramires makes way to be replaced by Willian.

It has been a slower start to this second half than we had to the first, with both sides easing their way back into the game. This really is an intriguing contest now, and it is set up nicely for the final half an hour or so.

Liverpool keep the ball well, but once again it is all coming in front of the Chelsea defence. They have seen plenty of the ball so far, but haven't been able to use it well enough due to the well-organised nature of the visitors.

The game has hit something of a flat spot in the last few moments, with neither side playing with any real pace or intent going forward.

The Chelsea players aren't happy here as they have a man down in midfield, and Liverpool don't kick the ball out. However, Chelsea had their own chance to knock it out of play and refused, but then expected Liverpool to do so once they had lost the ball. The move eventually comes to an end due to an offside call against Balotelli.

YELLOW CARD! Silly play from Balotelli as he knocks Oscar over off the ball on the edge of the Liverpool box. Oscar actually ran across the Italian striker there, but the referee saw it as a shove.

The free kick was a little too wide for a shot on goal, so Fabregas floats his cross into the middle. However, Liverpool deal with the danger well.

Chelsea take the lead for the first time this afternoon as Azpilicueta races onto a long ball forward down the left. He shows good skill and strength to get past Coutinho down the wing before playing a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Mignolet gets a hand to the cross, but can only deflect it into the path of Costa, who slams his effort home.

YELLOW CARD! Matic becomes the latest player in the book for Chelsea having brought down Johnson with a sliding challenge.

LIVERPOOL SUBS: Double change from Liverpool as they look to get back into this match. Fabio Borini and Joe Allen are introduced in place of Coutinho and goalscorer Can.

Liverpool have just under 20 minutes to respond now having surrendered their 1-0 lead. They have played fairly well today and have tested Courtois on a few occasions, but they need a bit more of a spark in the final third.

Once again, there has been a lack of movement up front from Balotelli. He has been caught offside far too often, either straying beyond the last defender too early or failing to get back onside in time. He simply doesn't look like a threat at the moment.

CHANCE! This is more like it from Liverpool. Moreno gets forward and gives the ball to Allen, who had made his own run down the left. His cross falls to Henderson at the far post, but the midfielder's well-struck volley slams off Matic and goes behind for a corner.

Very good defending from Terry as he charges out to get himself in the way of a powerful Gerrard strike. Again it was Allen who provided the initial thrust for the hosts before playing it square for his captain, but the Chelsea skipper makes the block.

LIVERPOOL SUB: The hosts make their third and final change of the afternoon as Balotelli is replaced by Rickie Lambert.

Nice football from Liverpool as they look to find a way through the Chelsea defence, playing a couple of testing balls into the box in quick succession. However, the visitors hold firm once again.

Far too easy for Chelsea as Costa comes down the right and suddenly finds himself in a lot of space. He puts a low cross in towards the near post, but Skrtel makes a fine challenge to deny Hazard.

YELLOW CARD! Oscar is the latest name in the book for a foul on Johnson.

Chelsea are being very wary of committing many men forward right now, and they can afford to be cautious with their lead. They are allowing Liverpool to control possession right now, getting almost everyone behind the ball to soak up the pressure.

YELLOW CARD! Costa goes into the book for a poor challenge from behind on Johnson. He can have no complaints about that one.

PENALTY SHOUT! Huge penalty shout for Liverpool as the ball drops to Gerrard on the edge of the box. His left-footed effort is not his best, but it skims through and strikes the arm of Cahill. Anthony Taylor shakes his head, but that should have been a penalty. Big mistake from the referee.

CHELSEA SUB: Diego Costa is down and receives treatment before making way for Didier Drogba. As things stand, the departing striker has made the difference here.

There will be five minutes of added time at the end of this match. Still time for Liverpool!

SHOT! Half a chance for Liverpool to come forward as Borini plays the ball down the channel for Lambert. It forces the striker too wide for a shot, so he lifts his cross towards the back post. Sterling recycles it and the hosts get it back into the middle, but Borini's header is too high.

YELLOW CARD! Courtois has picked up a late yellow card for time wasting as the visitors continue to wind down the clock.

CHELSEA SUB: A final change of the match see Hazard go off to be replaced by Filipe Luis.

The referee brings an end to proceedings here as Chelsea move seven points clear at the top of the table with victory at Anfield. Liverpool opened the scoring courtesy of a deflected Emre Can effort, but the visitors responded with strikes from Gary Cahill and Diego Costa to pick up the points.

Right, that is all we have time for this afternoon! Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for what was a fascinating battle between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield. It is the visitors who come away with the points, moving seven points clear at the top and 15 clear of Liverpool. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction, analysis and player ratings. From me, though, it is goodbye for now!