Rafael Benitez accepts Liverpool's hopes of catching Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League hinge on tomorrow's trip to Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool are 11 points behind their third-placed opponents with a game in hand, but the Reds boss will not concede just yet that his injury-hit side cannot overhaul them.
He said: ‘This game will be the key to whether we can catch Chelsea. We will see afterwards. For us it is the test.’
Benitez concedes the build-up for tomorrow's clash is much more low-key than his previous sparring sessions with Chelsea's former boss Jose Mourinho.
He said: ‘Everyone does things differently, but the game will be no less difficult because they still have fine players.’
This will be the 18th time Liverpool have met Chelsea in Benitez's three years at Anfield, and he said of the new regime at Stamford Bridge: ‘I am not surprised that Avram Grant has done well.
‘Chelsea were a good team and they are still a good team that has spent a lot of money in the transfer window.’
