As we approach today’s 4 o’clock kick-off, our bookmaker friends at Paddy Power have sent over their own preview of a match laced with hype and anticipation, as Fernando Torres steps up to make his Chelsea debut against his former club.

Paddy Says…

Is it irony or tragedy that Liverpool should face their former hero so soon? Whatever the events that unfold during the game, there is going to be plenty of drama in the build-up thanks to the hullabaloo surrounding the recent transfers. The arrival of Luis Suarez for a pitiful £23 million was almost overlooked following Fernando Torres’ record move, but it has been the feisty Uruguayan who has been first out of the blocks with a debut goal in midweek win over Stoke.

While Torres will naturally be the focus of attention leading up to kick-off, theres a reason why he’s the joint favourite to score first with Didier Drogba at 4/1. The Ivorian has had the better of the Liverpool backline on many an occasion and it wouldn’t be entirely unexpected if Drogba were to steal centre stage.

After opening his account, Suarez shouldn’t be overlooked. Some may question the validity of his goalscoring record in the Dutch league but it can’t be totally dismissed. He’s shown at club and international level that he isn’t just a goalscorer; on top of his impressive scoring rate, he’s also proved to be an effective provider of opportunities too. If he doesn’t score first at 7/1 or anytime at 23/10, his workrate and creativity could still make him a key figure for the visitors.

Raul Meireles has been Liverpool’s star performer of late however, and has found a useful scoring touch with three in four games. He’s nicely priced at 16/1 to score first and 6/1 to score anytime. Team-mate Steven Gerrard is at 11/1 to score first, while Frank Lampard, back on the scoresheet at Sunderland in midweek, is at 6/1. Set-pieces or spot-kicks could be decisive today, so both offer decent value in a game which could well be decided by brilliance or controversy. You can get 3/1 on a penalty being scored.

With pace up front and quality goalscorers in midfield on show, both defences could be put under real pressure and a big yellow card count and perhaps the odd red, wouldn’t be a massive surprise. Clean sheets look unlikely and, although Liverpool have kept three consecutive shut-outs, they are 4/1 to extend that run.

Overall this is a tricky one to call, but at 4/1 Liverpool look the better value of two teams which are more evenly matched than perhaps odds suggest.

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