We scare Chelsea, claims Benitez

Benitez unhappy at penalty denial Liverpool 0-0 Chelsea

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez claims Chelsea are afraid of playing against the Europeans champions.

The teams meet in the Premiership on Sunday, four days after Wednesday's 0-0 draw in the Champions League ended Chelsea's run of nine straight wins.

"I am sure Chelsea do not like playing Liverpool. When they are talking and talking and talking before the game it means they are worried," he said.

"Maybe they're afraid, I don't know. I hope it's the case after the weekend."

Liverpool host the London side on Sunday lying 14 points behind Jose Mourinho's runaway early leaders.

Mourinho says the Reds will be "finished" in the title race if the Londoners win at Anfield.

I couldn't remember seeing so many long balls in a match since I started watching football in the 80s Jamie Carragher on Chelsea's style

But Benitez said his team is capable of getting the better of the champions.

"We played better than them on Wednesday. They are at the top of the league with a squad maybe as good as anyone in the world and we played at the same level as them," he said.

"We had control in midfield, defence and attack."

Reds defender Jamie Carragher has also hit out at Chelsea's claims that Liverpool are just a long ball team.

"There is no side more direct than Chelsea," he said.

"We watched videos of Chelsea before the game and we saw their match against Bayern Munich from last season's Champions League.

"I couldn't remember seeing so many long balls in a match since I started watching football in the 80s."