Liverpool FC Forum

Owzat wrote:Just been looking at the respective records of Liverpool, Chelsea and Man Utd seeing where any has an advantage over the others.

Games In Hand

Man Utd have two games in hand as everyone probably knows, however both are home games. They are seven points behind though, but wins in those two games would put them up with Chelsea on points. Of course you need to win games in hand to make most of them, points in hand are sometimes better than games in hand.

Home Records

Man Utd P7 W6 D1 L0 PTS 19
Liverpool P9 W5 D4 L0 PTS 19
Chelsea P9 W3 D4 L2 PTS 13


Fixture Congestion?

The price Man Utd will pay for success is extra fixtures. The 'big four' all qualified for the knockout stages of the Champions League. Man Utd are the only team left in the Carling Cup so have two extra games there and a probable third (the final), plus the two they have in hand and a 'should win' FA Cup tie. Hopefully they'll end up dropping points in order to rest players for bigger games in other competitions, time will tell.


Record vs 'Big Four' Rivals

Liverpool P3 W2 D1 L0 PTS 7
Chelsea P3 W0 D1 L2 PTS 1
Man Utd P3 W0 D1 L2 PTS 1

Looks good on the face of it, however the mancs have played all their 'big four' rivals away. We have played two away and Chelsea have played all three at home. I'd certainly take our position in that mini-table over an extra home game, but that mini-table only counts for 18 points maximum, against the rest you're playing for 96 points (maximum) ie the rest are the bread and butter results


Who's Beaten Who (The Rest)

While Chelsea have a phenomenal away record, FIVE of those away wins have come against sides that Liverpool and Man Utd have both beaten as well.

Sides Beaten By Man Utd, Liverpool And Chelsea

Man City
Portsmouth
Middlesbro
Bolton
Blackburn
West Brom
Sunderland

It would be foolish to believe that this automatically means the three will do the double over those seven sides. Only Man Utd's win was away at Portsmouth, this isn't the only example, but some of those sides will be a different proposition on their home turf. Wigan have lost both games so far against the three teams under discussion

Believe it or not, none of Chelsea, Man Utd or Liverpool has beaten Fulham, Newcastle or Tottenham. Newcastle have drawn at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, Fulham have only played us. Tottenham have played the 'big four', but haven't lost to any of them.

The rest haven't beaten any of the three teams, but have picked up the odd point here and there.


So What Does All That Mean?

Well Man Utd have two home games in hand, and play the 'big four' at home. That must give them the confidence to believe they have control of the Premiership - there for the taking. They win their games in hand and beat their rivals and they only have to match their rivals' other results all the way to the end to win. Their biggest concern may be fixture congestion with four more games to fit in than their rivals and possibly more

Chelsea's away record is impressive, but since most of those wins are over sides that Man Utd and Liverpool have also beaten, then the record is likely to prove difficult to sustain - as shown against the bitters. Their home record is also something they will be concerned about, as well as losing twice at home in one season to 'big four' rivals.

We're top, have the upper hand in the games against the 'big four' and if we can get a result at Old Trafford then that would give us the control they could have (as mentioned not far back in this post) We need to win the home games against Chelsea and Arsenal, maybe get a result at Old Trafford, and drop less points against sides we should be beating. The return of the king (Torres) may tip the balance in our favour, one thing is certain and that is we must improve on our form of the last eight games. We can't keep relying on Chelsea and the rest dropping points when we do.