Liverpool v Chelsea: Side with hosts in Anfield battle

After recording back-to-back 0-0 draws for the first time in five years, it is 9/1 that Liverpool play out a third consecutive goalless Premier League stalemate for the maiden occasion when they square off with Chelsea.

But whilst that appears a far-fetched prospect, the 23/10 draw would appear to have chances, especially in light of the sides’ respective goal differences almost mirroring each other this term.

Indeed, Liverpool have notched 30 times on their own patch, with Chelsea racking up 29 strikes on their travels, which could indicate that the score draw is worth investment at 3/1.

The possibility of the Reds gaining something from this game certainly seems strong, despite the disparity in the seventh-place hosts and their third-place visitors’ league standings.

And as such, Brendan Rodgers’ charges, unbeaten in the past five league meetings of this pair and losing only twice in the last 12, should grab punters’ attention in double chance markets.

4/7 is applicable to Liverpool either winning or drawing the game, whilst their five victories from the last seven encounters with Chelsea in all competitions will convince some to snap up the 6/5 odds regarding a home success.

The Blues’ three defeats from their past four top-flight away games strengthen this notion, with that recent record likely to deter punters from the 9/4 price about an away triumph.

But with Rafa Benitez perhaps set to endure an unhappy return to Anfield, a recent trend from past encounters of these two points to half markets as a means for punters to turn greater profit.

Liverpool have led at both half-time and full-time on three of the last five occasions they have overcome Chelsea, with a repetition of that outcome priced at a big 11/5 here.

And the Reds could twist the knife into another former Kop hero in this clash, with Luis Suarez needing just one more goal to match Fernando Torres’ haul of 30 from five seasons ago.

The Premier League’s leading goalscorer is 5/4 to get it, and 9/2 to break the deadlock in this bout, with Torres 9/4 to notch against his former employers for the first time.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.