Beware the wounded animal. Chelsea face two Merseyside managers this week looking to bounce back from unusual disappointments in two competitions which take on additional importance given the state of their Champions League tie against Bayern Munich.
Liverpool aren’t used to losing games. Last weekend’s shock 3-0 defeat at Watford is hardly cause for crisis given their 22-point lead at the top of the table but Jurgen Klopp will demand a reaction from his players as they look to maintain the highest possible standards.
Klopp was not even in the country when the Reds beat Sheffield United in the last round and it will be difficult for Lampard to accurately anticipate the line-up he will face.
Champions League qualification is everything to Chelsea this season but exiting the FA Cup on Tuesday would only enhance the feeling their season is exclusively coming down to an unconvincing scramble for a top-four Premier League finish.
Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Bournemouth contained further evidence of their fragility in that regard and although he is unlikely to admit it publicly, Lampard may well view Sunday’s home game against Everton as the more important challenge this week.
Carlo Ancelotti is rarely as animated as he was after the final whistle of Sunday’s 1-1 draw against Manchester United, furious a late winner was ruled out for offside.
Having been sent off, Ancelotti is likely to watch on from the stands as he returns to Stamford Bridge. The 60-year-old is fondly remembered in west London for his two-year spell in charge ending in 2011 but he revisits his old stomping ground with a point to prove.
