liverpoolfc fan
22,04,06, 10:25
http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/images4/chelsea_v_a_120.jpg With kick-off getting ever nearer, here are the all-important stats and facts ahead of the FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea. This is Liverpool's 22nd Semi-Final and their first since 2001 while Chelsea have now reached this stage for the 16th time.
Only Arsenal (25), Manchester United (24) and Everton (23) have made more Semi-Final appearances than the Reds.
Liverpool are looking to reach their 13th F.A.Cup Final while Chelsea are aiming for their eighth.
If Liverpool succeed in this game only Arsenal and Manchester United (17 each) will have played in more F.A. Cup Finals. Newcastle will have also appeared in 13.
The last time the sides met in this competition came in 1997 when Liverpool led 2-0 at half-time at Stamford Bridge (Fowler and Collymore scoring) before Chelsea ran out 4-2 winners in a Fourth Round game. Chelsea went onto the Final.
Liverpool have won each of their last three Semi-Finals. In 2001 they defeated Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 at Villa Park. In 1996 they beat Aston Villa 3-0 at Old Trafford while four years earlier Portsmouth were beaten on penalties at Villa Park.
Only five men who played against Wycombe five years ago are still at Anfield. The Cup-tied Robbie Fowler (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/fowler/) scored that day while Sami Hyypia (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/hyypia/), Jamie Carragher (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/carragher/), Steven Gerrard (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/gerrard/) and Didi Hamann could feature in this game.
Liverpool's last Semi-Final defeat was at the hands of Crystal Palace at Villa Park in 1990 when they lost by the odd goal in seven.
That defeat is Liverpool's only one in their last seven Semi-Finals. Chelsea's record is the same. In fact the defeat both teams have suffered in that time has come at the hands of Manchester United.
This will be Liverpool's fifth F.A.Cup Semi-Final at Old Trafford and they have never lost. They have won three and drawn one.
In 1971 they beat Everton 2-1 and drew with Leicester City 0-0 in 1974. Nottingham Forest were defeated 3-1 in 1989 and Aston Villa lost here 3-0 in 1996. Twice the Reds have gone on to win the Cup.
The two teams are meeting for the tenth time in the last 19 months. Liverpool have just won one of the previous nine.
However, an omen for the Reds is that the one victory came in the fifth meeting of last season (Champions League at Anfield). This meeting is the fifth of this campaign.
Both Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho are managing in their first F.A.Cup Semi-Final.
Chelsea have never played an F.A.Cup Semi-Final on this ground.
In Round Three Liverpool won 5-3 at Luton and in the process scored five away from home in the F.A.Cup for the first time since 1947.
Round Four saw them defeat Portsmouth 2-1 at Fratton Park and a Peter Crouch (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/crouch/) goal was enough to defeat Manchester United for the first time in the F.A.Cup since 1921 in Round Five at Anfield.
In Round Six Liverpool's 7-0 victory at Birmingham City was the club's biggest ever away F.A.Cup victory and the biggest by any away team at that stage of the Cup for 116 years.
The last Liverpool player to score a hat-trick in the competition was Stan Collymore whose three goal haul came against Rochdale in 1996.
Liverpool have seen eight different players score in this season's competition. They are:- Crouch 3, Alonso 2, Gerrard 2, Riise 2, Sinama-Pongolle 2, Cisse 1, Hyypia 1, Morientes 1.
The Reds go into this game on the back of seven straight wins since losing at Arsenal in February.
Steven Gerrard, Djibril Cisse (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/cisse/) and Xabi Alonso (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/alonso/) could all make 50th appearances of the season for the club.
Despite scoring just one goal in his last 14 games, Steven Gerrard (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/gerrard/) has scored 19 goals this season for the Reds. One more and he will be the first Liverpool midfielder to score 20 goals in a season since John Barnes hit 28 in 1989-90.
Xabi Alonso's last goal for the Reds came in the Third Round at Luton-his shot from inside his own half.
Both sides have had eight different scorers in this season's F.A.Cup. They have also conceded four times each. Liverpool have scored 15 goals in four games, Chelsea 11 in five.
If Liverpool keep a clean sheet they will equal the club record of 34 in a season. They have achieved the feat in three previous seasons-1970-71, 1978-79 and 1983-84.
Chelsea have played in 15 Semi-Finals, winning seven of them.
This is their first Semi-Final since 2002 when a John Terry goal defeated Fulham. Terry is one of only four men still at the Bridge who played that day-the others being Carlo Cudicini, Frank Lampard and Eidur Gudjohnsen.
In the year of Peter Osgood's death it is worth remembering he was the last player to score in every round including the Final replay on this ground in 1970 when Chelsea defeated Leeds United.
Chelsea are aiming to become the first team since Derby County in 1976 to defeat both Liverpool and Everton in the same F.A.Cup season.
Chelsea's scorers in this competition this season are:- J.Cole 2, Lampard 2, Terry 2, C.Cole 1, Crespo 1, Ferreira 1, Gudjohnsen 1, Robben 1.
The Londoners have won five and drawn one of the last six games in all competitions since losing at Fulham last month. In that time they have conceded just once goal-to West Ham's James Collins. That defeat at Fulham is one of only two they have suffered domestically since losing on this ground to Manchester United in November.
However, they won just two of their last eight games away from Stamford Bridge.
The biggest ever F.A.Cup Semi-Final win came in 1908 when Newcastle beat Fulham 6-0 at Anfield.
The last man to score a hat-trick in the Semi-Final of this competition was Alex Dawson who helped Manchester United defeat Fulham in 1958.
Old Trafford will play host to an F.A.Cup Semi-Final for the 21st time.
Only Arsenal (25), Manchester United (24) and Everton (23) have made more Semi-Final appearances than the Reds.
Liverpool are looking to reach their 13th F.A.Cup Final while Chelsea are aiming for their eighth.
If Liverpool succeed in this game only Arsenal and Manchester United (17 each) will have played in more F.A. Cup Finals. Newcastle will have also appeared in 13.
The last time the sides met in this competition came in 1997 when Liverpool led 2-0 at half-time at Stamford Bridge (Fowler and Collymore scoring) before Chelsea ran out 4-2 winners in a Fourth Round game. Chelsea went onto the Final.
Liverpool have won each of their last three Semi-Finals. In 2001 they defeated Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 at Villa Park. In 1996 they beat Aston Villa 3-0 at Old Trafford while four years earlier Portsmouth were beaten on penalties at Villa Park.
Only five men who played against Wycombe five years ago are still at Anfield. The Cup-tied Robbie Fowler (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/fowler/) scored that day while Sami Hyypia (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/hyypia/), Jamie Carragher (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/carragher/), Steven Gerrard (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/gerrard/) and Didi Hamann could feature in this game.
Liverpool's last Semi-Final defeat was at the hands of Crystal Palace at Villa Park in 1990 when they lost by the odd goal in seven.
That defeat is Liverpool's only one in their last seven Semi-Finals. Chelsea's record is the same. In fact the defeat both teams have suffered in that time has come at the hands of Manchester United.
This will be Liverpool's fifth F.A.Cup Semi-Final at Old Trafford and they have never lost. They have won three and drawn one.
In 1971 they beat Everton 2-1 and drew with Leicester City 0-0 in 1974. Nottingham Forest were defeated 3-1 in 1989 and Aston Villa lost here 3-0 in 1996. Twice the Reds have gone on to win the Cup.
The two teams are meeting for the tenth time in the last 19 months. Liverpool have just won one of the previous nine.
However, an omen for the Reds is that the one victory came in the fifth meeting of last season (Champions League at Anfield). This meeting is the fifth of this campaign.
Both Rafa Benitez and Jose Mourinho are managing in their first F.A.Cup Semi-Final.
Chelsea have never played an F.A.Cup Semi-Final on this ground.
In Round Three Liverpool won 5-3 at Luton and in the process scored five away from home in the F.A.Cup for the first time since 1947.
Round Four saw them defeat Portsmouth 2-1 at Fratton Park and a Peter Crouch (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/crouch/) goal was enough to defeat Manchester United for the first time in the F.A.Cup since 1921 in Round Five at Anfield.
In Round Six Liverpool's 7-0 victory at Birmingham City was the club's biggest ever away F.A.Cup victory and the biggest by any away team at that stage of the Cup for 116 years.
The last Liverpool player to score a hat-trick in the competition was Stan Collymore whose three goal haul came against Rochdale in 1996.
Liverpool have seen eight different players score in this season's competition. They are:- Crouch 3, Alonso 2, Gerrard 2, Riise 2, Sinama-Pongolle 2, Cisse 1, Hyypia 1, Morientes 1.
The Reds go into this game on the back of seven straight wins since losing at Arsenal in February.
Steven Gerrard, Djibril Cisse (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/cisse/) and Xabi Alonso (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/alonso/) could all make 50th appearances of the season for the club.
Despite scoring just one goal in his last 14 games, Steven Gerrard (http://www.liverpoolfc.tv/team/squad/gerrard/) has scored 19 goals this season for the Reds. One more and he will be the first Liverpool midfielder to score 20 goals in a season since John Barnes hit 28 in 1989-90.
Xabi Alonso's last goal for the Reds came in the Third Round at Luton-his shot from inside his own half.
Both sides have had eight different scorers in this season's F.A.Cup. They have also conceded four times each. Liverpool have scored 15 goals in four games, Chelsea 11 in five.
If Liverpool keep a clean sheet they will equal the club record of 34 in a season. They have achieved the feat in three previous seasons-1970-71, 1978-79 and 1983-84.
Chelsea have played in 15 Semi-Finals, winning seven of them.
This is their first Semi-Final since 2002 when a John Terry goal defeated Fulham. Terry is one of only four men still at the Bridge who played that day-the others being Carlo Cudicini, Frank Lampard and Eidur Gudjohnsen.
In the year of Peter Osgood's death it is worth remembering he was the last player to score in every round including the Final replay on this ground in 1970 when Chelsea defeated Leeds United.
Chelsea are aiming to become the first team since Derby County in 1976 to defeat both Liverpool and Everton in the same F.A.Cup season.
Chelsea's scorers in this competition this season are:- J.Cole 2, Lampard 2, Terry 2, C.Cole 1, Crespo 1, Ferreira 1, Gudjohnsen 1, Robben 1.
The Londoners have won five and drawn one of the last six games in all competitions since losing at Fulham last month. In that time they have conceded just once goal-to West Ham's James Collins. That defeat at Fulham is one of only two they have suffered domestically since losing on this ground to Manchester United in November.
However, they won just two of their last eight games away from Stamford Bridge.
The biggest ever F.A.Cup Semi-Final win came in 1908 when Newcastle beat Fulham 6-0 at Anfield.
The last man to score a hat-trick in the Semi-Final of this competition was Alex Dawson who helped Manchester United defeat Fulham in 1958.
Old Trafford will play host to an F.A.Cup Semi-Final for the 21st time.