Sunday’s Premier League clash between Liverpool and Chelsea will be a crucial contest for both sides. Liverpool will look to re-inject some pride into yet another season in which they were never quite seen as true title contenders.
For Chelsea, the race for the top four is heating up and no short-comings can now be afforded. Interestingly, the three clubs that are racing each other for the third and fourth spots all hail from London, which makes the battle even more absorbing.
However, this encounter will be a bit more than the points table and the final result. It will see, in Rafa Benitez, a former Liverpool manager visiting Anfield marshalling another team. While ex-managers visiting their former home grounds managing another side is not that rare a picture, Rafa’s legacy at Liverpool is somewhat different.
Under him, Liverpool were regarded as one of the favourites to lift the Premier League every time a new season started. His tactics drew many critics, but he also won several hearts with his achievements. Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool had the likes of the flamboyant Fernando Torres, whose superb performances won Liverpool countless matches. Under Benitez, the Spaniard scored 33 goals in his opening season at Liverpool, of which 6 were scored in Europe.
Benitez also brought in another Spaniard Xabi Alonso, whose absence from midfield is still being felt after he left when Benitez’s contract was terminated.
But apart from this, what Liverpool fans remember most about Rafa Benitez is that he led the club to its first UEFA Champions League trophy in over 20 years on that fateful night in 2005, when his club beat European power-house AC Milan 3-2 on penalties after being 3-0 down at half time. It was a night when each Liverpool fan was singing praises for the Spanish coach, while the opponents watched stunned.
However, after his departure from Liverpool, Benitez has coursed through an uneasy track as a manager, not having enough achievements that could compliment the reputation he had built at Anfield.
Liverpool has also failed to make a strong impact in the Premier League table in the seasons that followed, failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League repeatedly. It has been managed by different managers ranging from the legendary Kenny Dalglish to the current Brendon Rodgers. Though yet again, it is heading towards the end of an uneventful season.
When Rafa Benitez enters Anfield this Saturday, his interests will be the opposite of what they used to be when he managed the club a few years back. He still has his star striker Torres on his side, the thousands of fans who once cheered for him in the stands might not do so as willingly as before when he steps in this time.
To the neutral, this is a game one wouldn’t want to miss as for Rafa it will be a game full of emotions. However emotions hold no value at this time of the season and Rafa should disregard any such feelings for his former club. His efforts should be invested in earning an important victory over his former employees to ensure a top four finish for Chelsea.
However, this encounter will be a bit more than the points table and the final result. It will see, in Rafa Benitez, a former Liverpool manager visiting Anfield marshalling another team. While ex-managers visiting their former home grounds managing another side is not that rare a picture, Rafa’s legacy at Liverpool is somewhat different.
Under him, Liverpool were regarded as one of the favourites to lift the Premier League every time a new season started. His tactics drew many critics, but he also won several hearts with his achievements. Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool had the likes of the flamboyant Fernando Torres, whose superb performances won Liverpool countless matches. Under Benitez, the Spaniard scored 33 goals in his opening season at Liverpool, of which 6 were scored in Europe.
Benitez also brought in another Spaniard Xabi Alonso, whose absence from midfield is still being felt after he left when Benitez’s contract was terminated.
But apart from this, what Liverpool fans remember most about Rafa Benitez is that he led the club to its first UEFA Champions League trophy in over 20 years on that fateful night in 2005, when his club beat European power-house AC Milan 3-2 on penalties after being 3-0 down at half time. It was a night when each Liverpool fan was singing praises for the Spanish coach, while the opponents watched stunned.
However, after his departure from Liverpool, Benitez has coursed through an uneasy track as a manager, not having enough achievements that could compliment the reputation he had built at Anfield.
Liverpool has also failed to make a strong impact in the Premier League table in the seasons that followed, failing to qualify for the UEFA Champions League repeatedly. It has been managed by different managers ranging from the legendary Kenny Dalglish to the current Brendon Rodgers. Though yet again, it is heading towards the end of an uneventful season.
When Rafa Benitez enters Anfield this Saturday, his interests will be the opposite of what they used to be when he managed the club a few years back. He still has his star striker Torres on his side, the thousands of fans who once cheered for him in the stands might not do so as willingly as before when he steps in this time.
To the neutral, this is a game one wouldn’t want to miss as for Rafa it will be a game full of emotions. However emotions hold no value at this time of the season and Rafa should disregard any such feelings for his former club. His efforts should be invested in earning an important victory over his former employees to ensure a top four finish for Chelsea.
