Much has been said over the last week about these two teams. Who got the better of the Torres deal? Were Liverpool crazy to spend £35m on Andy Carroll? Was Torres justified in swapping Anfield for Stamford Bridge? Are Liverpool fans justified in feeling let down by Torres for wanting to go? How will both clubs comply with the new Fair Play Rules? Will Torres score on his Chelsea debut against Liverpool? Should Liverpool supporters boo Torres or clap him?
To be honest, I'm getting a bit bored of it all.
If we'd paid £50m for a player like Torres, who turns 27 next month, I'd feel uneasy. It's a massive amount to gamble on a single player. I'm much happier that we've hedged our bets by gambling £57m on two players, one of whom has just turned 24 and the other of whom has just turned 22, who both have the potential to be world class in years to come.
Of course, Chelsea believe they are getting a proven world class player in his peak years, hence the premium, but only time will tell if that proves to be the case. Plenty of disgruntled Liverpool supporters have argued that Torres' best years are behind him pointing out that he was exceptional in 2007 and 2008 but has never recaptured that level since. The counter argument is that Torres' failure to recapture that level was because of a succession of injuries and more recently the shocking tactics of Roy Hodgson.
If Torres was still at Anfield, no one would be saying he should be sold because he's past it so I guess these arguments are ultimately just wishful thinking. That doesn't mean they won't be proven right but it's hard for supporters to be objective in such situations.
Personally, I don't care whether Torres is past it or not. Torres is the past. He is a player who came to Liverpool to win trophies and left having failed to do so. He won't be remembered as a legend - you have to win things for that to happen - but was a very good player for us during a brief window in which he showcased his talents at Anfield. Either way, he is now a Chelsea player and I prefer to focus on my own team.
Luis Suarez looks a genuinely exciting signing and it was fantastic to see him score his first Liverpool goal during an exciting cameo against Stoke in mid-week. Whether he is worth £35m or not, I like the look of Andy Carroll as a player and I am pleased we have signed him.
With 3 League wins on the bounce and 3 successive clean sheets, we take some form and confidence with us to Stamford Bridge. Chelsea have been fragile of late and have not won too many games over the last couple of months. They already seem too far off the pace to retain their Premiership crown and are by no means certain to qualify for next season's Champions League. If we were to actually win there, it would give us a real chance of overtaking them in the League - a prospect that had looked unthinkable while Hodgson was leading us to ruin.
Realistically, a Liverpool win - though not impossible - is highly improbable. Since the start of the Premiership, our record at Stamford Bridge is shockingly bad. Even before Abramovich pitched up to buy a few League titles and cups, Chelsea away was a bogey fixture for us. Our Premiership record there reads: Pld 18, Won 2, Drew 4, Lost 12, Scored 7, Conceded 27.
In addition, we have also played there in 1 League Cup, 1 FA Cup and 4 Champions League ties failing to win a single one.
Looking for reasons to be optimistic, it was on this ground the King Kenny scored the winning goal that sealed the League title back in 1986. Meanwhile, if anyone knows the weaknesses of this Chelsea team, it must be King Kenny's No. 2, Steve Clarke. The tactical accumen the pair demonstrated against Stoke in midweek shows what they are capable of.
Would I take a draw before the game? Yes.
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