Pressure on Chelsea to deliver the goods

Chelsea v Liverpool (Millennium Stadium, 3.0 Sun. On TV: Sky Sports 1): Had he stayed on in Porto, Jose Mourinho claimed last summer, he would have been viewed by the locals as being second only to God.

It was, to be fair, only a slight exaggeration and the population's high regard for the young coach was scarcely groundless given that during his time with them he had performed football's equivalent of transforming water into wine.

At Chelsea, the extravagance of Roman Abramovich ensures that that there is no need for miracles. Instead, Mourinho is simply expected to deliver on the promise of an expensively assembled squad, but after a week in which his team has tasted defeat in both Newcastle and Barcelona the 42-year-old is looking distinctly human again.

As the team prepared for tomorrow's League Cup final in Cardiff yesterday he and his players were defiant, but there is clear evidence that a little of the shine has come off Chelsea's armour during the past six days.

Mourinho's decision to use three substitutes at half-time in St James' Park undoubtedly contributed to his side's defeat there while his largely groundless complaint regarding Frank Rijkaard's half-time conversation with referee Anders Frisk at the Nou Camp left him open to ridicule with one Barcelona coach describing the incident as "pathetic".

Now, in circumstances that seemed unthinkable even a week ago as the Londoners made their way to England's north-east and the start of what promised to be a memorable week, his Chelsea team find themselves with something important to prove when they take the field against Liverpool tomorrow afternoon.

"This could be the best moment to play Chelsea," observed Rafael Benitez yesterday as he considered the problems his opposite number has had to cope with in recent days. "They are favourites and we know they have spent a lot of money on players and are having a very good season. But now," he added, "after losing two games in a week it could be the best moment for us to be playing them. We will see."

Despite the setbacks endured by the league leaders, Benitez has no obvious reason for any great confidence ahead of the match. Chelsea have beaten Liverpool twice already this season, with Joe Cole arriving from the bench to score the only goal of the game on both occasions and the difference in the two teams' week-to-week league form is adequately reflected by the 25 points that separate them in the Premiership table.

After his own side's recent humiliation at Birmingham, however, the Spaniard goes into the game on something of a high with Steven Gerrard, Fernando Morientes and Mauricio Pellegrino all added to the team that beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 in midweek.

The news yesterday that William Gallas is a major doubt for Chelsea will have further fuelled optimism on Merseyside where they must, after his performance at Anfield on New Year's Day, relish the prospect of Glen Johnson getting a start. Also out are Wayne Bridge and, crucially, Arjen Robben, although both Damien Duff and Didier Drogba appear to have come through Wednesday's game without aggravating minor injuries and both look certain to start.

Liverpool have their problems of their own with Josemi likely to miss the game due to a groin injury while Xabi Alonso, Djibril Cisse and Florent Sinama-Pongolle are all suffering from long-term injuries.

Alonso, in particular, is a huge loss and Benitez simply does not have the sort of quality in reserve that his rival can call on. Mourinho, nevertheless, was not as quick yesterday to dismiss the prospect of a third straight defeat for his team as he had been a second during the build-up to the game in the Nou Camp.

"I see Liverpool as a good team," remarked the Chelsea coach, "with good players and a very good manager. Like us they are in the beginning of a process. People demand a lot from us, not so much from them but we can beat them and they can beat us.

"Maybe the mood has changed," he conceded, "but not the confidence or the motivation. Nobody likes to lose, especially people who are not used to it." It is a view endorsed by his skipper, John Terry who observes that Chelsea: "have played two very good teams and have been a bit unlucky in both games.

"So the lads are still confident, full of energy and looking forward to the game. In the camp there are no worries at all. With all the talk that is going on, it is a chance for us to shut people up."

Win tomorrow and they will achieve that and a bit more besides. Lose and, for all of yesterday's bravado, Mourinho might just start to let the pressure tell.