I feel decisively undecided. Yesterday was a big advert for the word ‘quandary’. Liverpool travelled to Stamford Bridge and they left us with hopes and doubts. You might argue that’s not too different from the pre kick off feeling. I had hopes that the performance, the result and the feeling of the final whistle of last year could be repeated. Football nowadays is all about your last game so that should have prevailed easily. But us with a longer memory, associate Stamford Bridge with one-sided four goals score-lines and green grass that seem to hold a personal grudge against Liverpool studs. I remember one particular game when there was a one sided four goal score-line and the Chelsea keeper was awarded the man of the match. A bit like an exotic butterfly on the lid of a filthy bin.

The first forty-five minutes were an exhibition of pragmatism, professionalism and what Benitez would probably call ‘disciplined’. Liverpool had the lion share of possession, exactly 55% of it, the midfield pairing of Javier Mascherano and Lucas Leiva looked like brothers from the same favela rather than a Brazilian and Argentinean while going forward a ray hope was shining from time to time even though admittedly there were never a need of sunglasses. At the end, the quickly taken free-kick by Albert Riera stretched and frightened the deputising Hilario and while not being enough to open the score or forgetting us the abject performance by the executor himself was enough to give us an upbeat fifteen minutes break.

The first fifteen minutes of the second half continued in the vein of the first forty-five hard working minutes and the fifteen minutes break. Fields of Anfield Road was echoing around Stamford Bridge. Glenn Johnson was having his most solid game in a Liverpool shirt. The ball was in Mascherano’s feet and he was looking upfront. From his side though he was dispossessed and Chelsea were at the other end celebrating in no time. You would assume it was a quick counter-attack that had Liverpool short in numbers. It was quick but Liverpool had enough numbers behind the ball and particularly in the penalty area. The redmen were never outnumbered or outfought but for that specific moment were outwitted.

Chelsea looked to grow in stature after the goal and were knocking the ball around confidently, winning time and depriving Liverpool of any reaction. Then Yossi Benayoun got in and with Chelsea inviting Liverpool cautiously, the Israeli was finding ways about the Chelsea wall. With Fernando Torres on the pitch, there is always hope, and the Spaniard had an inviting bouncing ball at one time. His left leg accepted the invitation but never made it to the party as he shot disappointingly wide.

Time continued to tick on, and at the end Didier Drogba again provided the assist to give his side a final 2-0 score-line and three points. Benayoun quickly wrong footed a forest of legs but with the goal at his mercy he summed up the day as he squeezed wide.

A third defeat invites a plethora of questions. The ambivalent result and performance reply with a confusion of grey answers in true Liverpool fashion. I am not giving up hope but I am less confident than I was before the match. I am not changing my summer expectations but I am going back to basics and adjusting my horizon from May to Christmas for the time being.