Chelsea Legends take on their counterparts from Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Saturday 11 October, and to whet your appetite for what promises to be a fantastic occasion, we have picked out some memorable meetings between the sides over the years.
The clubs first met all the way back in 1907 and have been regular opponents over the many decades that have followed. Several of the most thrilling or important encounters have been in cup competitions, with the intensity of the rivalry ramping up a notch in the mid-2000s when Champions League clashes became the norm.
Many of the Chelsea Legends involved in next month’s game, for which you can buy tickets here, had their own iconic showdowns with the Reds during their playing days.
Let’s revisit some of the Blues’ best days against Liverpool, which are sure to bring back happy memories!
Chelsea 4-2 Liverpool, January 1978
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Chelsea had taken on Liverpool pretty much as equals for most of the post-war period, but by 1978, the balance of power had shifted north to the degree that the Reds were reigning English and European champions and Chelsea were hard-up, lower table strugglers.
But then the FA Cup has always been a great leveller, and it was levelling hard at Stamford Bridge in January 1978 during a third round tie. A young Chelsea side were 3-0 up within the hour, with Liverpool's goals in their 4-2 defeat coming too late to threaten a fightback. Clive Walker's goal above was the pick of the bunch.
Chelsea 2-0 Liverpool, February 1982
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The same competition provided an even greater shock four years later, this time in the fifth round. Chelsea were eighth in the Second Division while Liverpool were again the reigning European champions and would go on to win the title that season.
However, John Neal’s side produced a superb rearguard action to keep Liverpool at bay, and we deservedly ran out 2-0 winners courtesy of an early Peter Rhoades-Brown strike, and one late on from Colin Lee at a disbelieving Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea 4-2 Liverpool, January 1997
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The FA Cup sprinkled its stardust on Stamford Bridge once more in 1997. Chelsea went in 2-0 down at half-time, but second-half strikes from Mark Hughes and Gianfranco Zola drew us level. The foundations of the stadium rocked as a Gianluca Vialli brace then put the seal on a magical afternoon in SW6.
It remains one of the most memorable matches ever seen at our home stadium, and set us on our way to winning the FA Cup for the first time in a generation.
Chelsea 2-1 Liverpool, May 2003
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There was so much on the line in this final-day clash between the two sides vying for the last Champions League place. Chelsea were in financial difficulty and the importance of playing in Europe’s premier competition in 2003/04 was not lost on the players.
We had to draw to stay above Liverpool but that outcome was in doubt when the visitors went ahead early. However, Marcel Desailly equalised and Jesper Gronkjaer provided a cushion, all before half-time. Fourth place – and Champions League football – was ours.
Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool AET, February 2005
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In the League Cup final in Cardiff, things didn’t start well when John Arne Riise smashed a volley past Petr Cech inside the first minute, but we were given a late lifeline when Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard headed Paulo Ferreira’s free-kick into his own net to send the game to extra time.
Jose Mourinho missed the additional 30 minutes after being sent off for his goal celebrations, but there was only one team in it from then on. Didier Drogba and Mateja Kezman both ruthlessly punished defensive errors to give us a two-goal lead, rendering Antonio Nunez’s late goal a mere consolation for the Reds. This trophy triumph paved the way for our maiden Premier League success that was to follow soon after.
Liverpool 1-4 Chelsea, October 2005
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Chelsea routed European champions Liverpool at Anfield to underline our domestic dominance. It was a complete performance, with goals from Frank Lampard, Damien Duff, Geremi and Joe Cole stunning the Kop as the Blues laid down a marker in what would prove to be another successful league campaign.
Chelsea 3-2 Liverpool AET (4-3 on aggregate), April 2008
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A pulsating Champions League semi-final second leg between Chelsea and Liverpool ended with the Blues advancing to our first final in the competition.
It had finished 1-1 at Anfield a week prior. John Arne Riise’s injury-time own goal – immortalised in Salomon Kalou’s song – gave the Blues a slight advantage. It would finish 1-1 after 90 minutes at the Bridge, too, with Drogba and Fernando Torres exchanging goals. To extra-time we went.
Lampard kept his composure to score an emotionally-charged penalty following the recent death of his mother, and Drogba quickly added a third. That meant Ryan Babel’s 117th-minute goal was no more than a consolation.
Liverpool 1-3 Chelsea, April 2009
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It was no surprise the names of Liverpool and Chelsea were drawn together again in the latter stages of the Champions League the following season, this time the quarters. It was the night a Chelsea legend was born.
Branislav Ivanovic was playing just his 17th game for the Blues and was far from familiar to the wider footballing community. How that would change! With Chelsea 1-0 down to yet another Torres goal, Ivanovic scored thumping headers either side of half-time, with our lead extended on the break by Drogba.
Chelsea 4-4 Liverpool, April 2009
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Suddenly, what had been cagey contests between the two in Europe burst into must-watch affairs. The second leg the following week was an epic 4-4 that was in the balance right until the end.
Although Liverpool were never technically going through because of the away goals rule, they spent much of the game a goal away from knocking us out. Lampard scored with the last kick to finally put the outcome beyond doubt, the Blues advancing 7-5 on aggregate.
Liverpool 0-2 Chelsea, May 2010
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Knowing nothing less than a win would do in our penultimate fixture of the season and with the title in sight, the Blues were given a helping hand by Gerrard. His short backpass was seized upon by Drogba to give Carlo Ancelotti’s side a half-time advantage.
It was one doubled by Lampard after the break as we took a major step towards a third Premier League triumph. Wigan were thrashed the following week to complete the job.
This time it was the hosts trying to win the title with the season reaching its conclusion. Chelsea’s aspirations of doing so had been all but ended a week earlier by Sunderland.
Coming in the middle of a Champions League semi-final tie against Atletico Madrid, Jose Mourinho opted to rotate his squad for the trip to Anfield. It was an unfamiliar XI that took to the pitch, but they carried out his demands with a disciplined and dogged display. Demba Ba seized on a slip by Gerrard to put us in front before the break, and we defended with our lives after it before sealing the victory late on through Willian.
_**Chelsea Legends vs Liverpool Legends on Saturday 11 October will be raising funds for the Chelsea Foundation and the Chelsea Players’ Trust, which supports the welfare of those who made the club what it is today.**_
_**Tickets are on general sale – up to four per person - and you can**_ [**_purchase tickets for this game now_**](https://www.eticketing.co.uk/chelseafc/Events?preFilter=4&preFilterName=Men%27s%20Ticketing)