SOCCER:ROY HODGSON Is adamant Liverpool will not suffer from an inferiority complex against Chelsea tomorrow and believes the reigning champions are as vulnerable as any Premier League team to a sudden loss of form.

Chelsea are five points clear of their nearest challengers and will arrive at Anfield 13 points ahead of Hodgson’s team. Their relentless form, particularly at Stamford Bridge where Carlo Ancelotti’s side have yet to concede a point or even a goal in the league this season, has established them as firm favourites to retain the title. But Hodgson is dismissive of the theory Chelsea are far superior to their rivals.

The Liverpool manager said: “At the moment they are there because they have made a good start, but I’m sure Ancelotti would also tell you . . . that you can have a spell which goes the other way. It may not be long before they have a bad spell and you’re asking what’s gone wrong with Chelsea.”

Thursday’s Steven Gerrard-inspired recovery against Napoli in the Europa League was Liverpool’s third consecutive win in all competitions and, while performances have fluctuated against Blackburn, Bolton and the Italian side, Hodgson believes self-belief has returned. “We were down in terms of results and we were down in terms of the enormous amount of criticism we were attracting – some of it very unfair, some of it downright lies,” said the manager, whose January transfer targets may include the Saint-Etienne midfielder Dimitri Payet. “But when you get a few wins, and people are saying nicer things about you, it lifts your confidence – but that’s football. As a coach, you can’t stop people writing what they write, and you can’t stop people reading it and being affected by it.”