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Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez yesterday cranked up his bitter war of words with Jose Mourinho by questioning his role in Chelsea's emergence as a European super-power.
Benitez, who reacted tetchily during pre-season when Mourinho suggested he needed to justify a massive summer spending spree at Anfield, let the Stamford Bridge boss have it with both barrels, claiming that Chelsea owed their recent success to Roman Abramovich's wealth rather than Mourinho's wisdom.
"He said he will not talk about other teams, so maybe his memory is playing up," Benitez said of Mourinho. "But it is about who spent the most money in the last five years, not one.
"I would say the players are more important than the managers. If you analyse the last five years, it's clear Abramovich has done a fantastic job."
Though spoken with a mischievous smile, those provocative words were chosen deliberately by Benitez to get under the skin of his most bitter rival.
And they add fuel to what already promised to be a firecracker showdown between the two title-chasing clubs at Anfield tomorrow.
Mourinho loves to trumpet his two title successes in his first two seasons at Stamford Bridge. Only last week Chelsea broke Liverpool's record for the longest unbeaten league run on home soil. But the Spaniard's intention to belittle Mourinho's achievements by attributing them purely to Abramovich's billions will have seriously wound up his Portuguese counterpart.
Yet Liverpool players seem more anxious to let their football do the talking amid a genuine feeling on Merseyside that the title is there to be won. Dirk Kuyt, the man whose shoot-out penalty dumped Chelsea out of last season's Champions League semi-final, says Liverpool are desperate to send a message to their title rivals that they mean business.
"I think it is very important for us to beat Chelsea on Sunday," he said. "If we do that, it shows not only them but also Manchester United that we are serious.
"We showed last season that we were close to them and hopefully we will prove we're even better this time.
"We don't only want to do it in the big games but in the others as well - but first we need to win against Chelsea because that will make the perfect statement at this stage of the season."
And Kuyt believes if Liverpool can do that, then they have the strength in depth this season to launch a serious assault on the title at the business end of the campaign.
"I think we have many more than 11 good players and that shows the strength of the team this year. We have at least two men for every position," he said.
"Maybe we have a deeper squad than the rest, and that can only be good for us. At the end of the season that is what will make the difference between winning a trophy and losing one."
Kuyt will return to the starting line-up tomorrow after being rested in midweek, partnering Fernando Torres in a forward line Benitez is convinced will bring goals.
But while Benitez wants to send the same emphatic message to Chelsea as Kuyt, he believes it will not take 89 points to win the title, as it did last term.
"I don't think you will see the top sides winning so many games in a row this time," he said.
"Many teams have bought better quality and that will see them taking points off the top sides."
Rafa v JOSE: HEAD TO HEAD
Rafa Benitez 5 Jose Mourinho 7 (3 Draws)
Oct 2004 Prem: Chelsea 1 - 0 Liverpool
Jan 2005 Prem: Liverpool 0 - 1 Chelsea
Feb 2005 Prem: Liverpool 2 - 3 Chelsea
Apr 2005 Prem: Chelsea 0 - 0 Chelsea
May 2005 Prem: Liverpool 1 - 0 Chelsea
Sep 2005 Prem: Liverpool 0 - 0 Chelsea
Sep 2005 Prem: Liverpool 1 - 4 Chelsea
Dec 2005 Prem: Liverpool 0 - 0 Chelsea
Feb 2005 Prem: Chelsea 2 - 0 Chelsea
Apr 2006 FA Cup Chelsea 1 - 2 Liverpool
Aug 2006 Ch Shield: Chelsea 1 - 2 Liverpool
Sep, 2006 Prem: Chelsea 1 - 0 Liverpool
Jan 2007 Prem: Liverpool 2 - 0 Chelsea.
Apr 2007 Ch Lge: Chelsea 1 - 0 Liverpool
May 2007 Ch Lge: Liverpool 1 - 0 Chelsea
WHY THEY DISLIKE EACH OTHER
The Chelsea boss refused to shake hands with his Anfield rival following their FA Cup simi-final meeting at Old Trafford in April 2006, and Mourinho branded Liverpool a "small club" before their Champions League semi-final clash last season, which the Reds won.
Mourinho claimed that if he had done the same at Chelsea as the Spaniard had done at Anfield, he would have been sacked. He also said Rafa was ungracious in efusing to accept that Luis Garcia's Champions League semifinal winner against the Blues in 2005 had not crossed the line.
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