His Portuguese boss Jose Mourinho witnessed a comprehensive defeat of his expensively-assembled team as Liverpool under Rafael Benitez finally managed a league victory over the Londoners.The shock defeat, admittedly with a weakened Chelsea side, gives leaders Manchester United all the incentive they need to beat Arsenal on Sunday and open up a nine-point gap at the top of the table.
For Liverpool, this was vindication of Benitez's recent policy of fielding weakened sides in the cup competitions to give his squad the chance to mount a significant challenge at the head of the Premier League.
• Mourinho's case for the defence
Early goals from Dirk Kuyt and Jermaine Pennant gave Liverpool the platform to erase from their memories the two cup defeats by Arsenal suffered at Anfield.
Chelsea had problems in defence and far more in midfield where #130,000-a-week Michael Ballack was a strolling player. Not once did he bother Liverpool.
They suffered another blow overnight with Ricardo Carvalho ruled out with a high temperature but Ashley Cole returned after suspension - Claude Makelele was sidelined with a ban.
Mourinho opted for Petr Cech in goal, who was allowed to wear a rugby-style skullcap in his first match since fracturing his skull at Reading in October.
Liverpool had John Arne Riise back, but in a left-sided midfield role, with Daniel Agger preferred in the centre ahead of Sami Hyypia.
Craig Bellamy was the unlucky striker left on the bench, with Peter Crouch and Kuyt up front. Few, though, would have predicted the damage the pair were able to cause.
Jamie Carragher, making his 450th appearance for Liverpool, was in action instantly to block a John Obi Mikel drive, taking the pace off the effort enough for Jose Reina to save.
But Carragher's next involvement helped create Liverpool's stunning opener on four minutes. The defender's long ball into the box was nodded down by Crouch for Kuyt, who left Paulo Ferreira wrong- footed before drilling his shot past Cech.
Anfield erupted, and they should have been celebrating a second two minutes later when Riise was in yards of space on the left, taking a Xabi Alonso pass, but from six yards he failed to beat the diving Cech.
Chelsea's struggling central defensive pairing of Ferreira and Michael Essien almost let in Crouch again before Riise sent a 25-yarder fizzing over.
But Liverpool's second soon arrived. Steven Gerrard's long ball again aimed at the heart of Chelsea's defence was nodded weakly away by Essien, but it still took a brilliant 30-yard dipping drive from Pennant to beat Cech into the top corner for his first Liverpool goal.
It got worse for Mourinho when Arjen Robben, who had been injured minutes earlier, had to be replaced on 20 minutes by Shaun Wright-Phillips.
Chelsea's reaction to the shock of being two down was limited until Alonso went off with a facial injury after a clash with Didier Drogba.
That gave Chelsea a man advantage and more possession and Liverpool's 10 men were under serious pressure. Alonso was off the pitch for seven minutes having treatment but had to retire again a couple of minutes later, still bleeding.
This disruption gave Chelsea the initiative - even when Alonso returned for a second time. Frank Lampard, from a free-kick, and Drogba from 18 yards, both fired efforts into the Kop.
Chelsea showed more urgency after the break, and Liverpool helped their cause by conceding too many soft free-kicks.
But after 10 minutes of Chelsea pressure, Riise broke out of defence, fed Kuyt on the right and when the eventual cross arrived in the box, an unmarked Crouch headed it straight at Cech.
Chelsea and Cech were fortunate not to be three down on 61 minutes when Riise spotted the keeper a yard too far forward and hit a dipping 40-yarder that smashed against the bar, went up into the air and when Crouch headed the rebound goalwards, Cech scrambled to clutch it on the far post.
Kuyt volleyed a Riise cross wide and then the Norwegian saw another first-time effort fly over the bar.
Ferreira was booked for a foul on Kuyt before Andriy Shevchenko finally arrived but Liverpool ended convincing winners.
Mourinho's case for the defence
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho watched Liverpool exploit the faltering champions'
defensive crisis with a 2-0 win at Anfield and admitted the `Special One'
'cannot do miracles'.
Skipper John Terry is still sidelined by injury and Ricardo Carvalho went down
with a temperature this morning forcing Mourinho to field a makeshift
centre-back pairing of Michael Essien and Paulo Ferreira.
Liverpool took full advantage with Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt giving Essien
and Ferreira a torrid time with Kuyt latching on to a Crouch flick on to fire
the Reds ahead in the fourth minute and Jermaine Pennant adding a second on 18
minutes to leave Chelsea with a mountain to climb.
Mourinho, asked if he blamed Chelsea's title setback on the current
centre-back crisis, told Sky Sports: 'I think so. It's obvious. There were
definitely mistakes with people not adapting to their positions.
'I was waiting for 15 or 20 minutes to go by with no goals conceded and the
confidence arriving. But when the team is very fragile on the pitch and mentally
not so self confident it is difficult.
'In the second half I think we played better but Liverpool defended well and
were full of confidence. They knew they could be adventurous because our
defensive line is fragile.
'They had two big guys up front in Crouch and Kuyt and we cannot cope with
it. It's obvious. You cannot do miracles.
'The players are playing with pride but my group of players is very very
short. The group is mentally strong and together and ready for the rest of the
season in several competitions.'
Mourinho would clearly like to have bought in defensive cover during the
January transfer window but, with 10 days remaining, does not expect any centre
backs to arrive at Stamford Bridge.
'I don't know and I don't want to speak about it,' said Mourinho, who said
on Thursday that he would be happy to complete his contract with the Blues
providing he has support and respect from the Chelsea hierarchy.
'The market is open for another 10 days. But the market was open for 20 days
and if we didn't get one then I don't see why we should get one now.
'It is difficult to cope without central defenders - especially in the
Premiership - and we know in advance the problems we have for this game,' he
added.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, asked if he was confident when he saw Chelsea's
team sheet, preferred to focus on what his side had done well.
'I was confident when I saw my team sheet,' he said. 'I thought we did a
very good job and deserved to win.
'We played well. I don't know if it was because they had problems but we
played well.'
Liverpool lie in third place with leaders Manchester United and Arsenal still
to come to Anfield and Benitez added: 'We have three more points and I'm really
happy with the situation. We have Man United and Arsenal at home, we have
confidence and we are playing well.'
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was delighted with the victory but cautious
about any hopes of a late tilt at the title.
'Any victory at home is sweet and against the champions it's extra special so
we'll enjoy it but there's still a lot of hard work to do,' he warned.
'We're still in the third and we're still plugging away. Today is a massive
result but it has to be the same from now to the end of the season.
'The gap is still massive and we've got to keep concentrating on what we've
got to do,' he said.
Crouch felt Liverpool's tactics had paid off. He said: 'We had a game plan
before we saw their teamsheet. In the first half it went well.
'We thought we would create chances and we managed to get two goals. It could
have been more. Then in the second half it was about containing them.'
Liverpool 2 - 0 Chelsea
