Anfield to test Chelsea's attacking intent

LONDON, Aug 16 (Reuters) Jose Mourinho's new commitment to attacking football gets an early test on Sunday when his Chelsea side visit Liverpool in the season's first encounter between two of the ''big four''.

The two sides have seen more of each other than is healthy in recent years having played 15 times in the last three seasons.

Many of the matches have been tight, low-scoring affairs, particularly their long-running Champions League feud, and Chelsea's impressive 4-1 Anfield league win two years ago stands out as a rare thrashing.

The Londoners, criticised for their dour, safety-first approach last season, cut loose in their first match on Sunday to beat Birmingham City 3-2 in an open, entertaining game.

They followed up yesterday with a 2-1 win at Reading, though they again needed to come from behind in a game full of chances at both ends.

Manager Jose Mourinho wants his side to play with more freedom this season but with fierce rival Rafael Benitez standing a few metres away at Anfield, he will surely demand a tighter approach and should be helped by the return of captain John Terry.

Liverpool needed a late Steven Gerrard goal to give them a winning start with a 2-1 success at Aston Villa and though they also looked a little rusty at Toulouse yesterday they managed another win, 1-0 in the first leg of a Champions League qualifier.

MORE EFFECTIVE Andriy Voronin made the difference in France with a superb long-range strike and coach Benitez will hope the Ukrainian free transfer, along with Spain striker Fernando Torres, proves more effective than his much-trumpeted signings of a year ago.

Few of those new boys made any impact, domestically at least, as Liverpool finished the campaign 21 points behind champions Manchester United and Mark Gonzalez and Craig Bellamy have since been off-loaded.

Sunday's other big game also takes place in the north-west as Manchester City take on Manchester United.

City, managed by Seven-Goran Eriksson, have got off to a flyer with wins over West Ham United and Derby County, ending their eight-month home league goal drought in the process.

United, in contrast, have drawn their first two games and, already without the injured Wayne Rooney, must do without Cristiano Ronaldo for the next three after his red card in yesterday's 1-1 draw at Portsmouth.

Everton, another side seeking to start with three straight wins, visit Reading on Saturday while fans of big-spending Tottenham Hotspur, beaten by Sunderland and Everton, are looking at their home game against Derby County as a key indicator of whether their season will again fall short of the hype.

Reuters TB RS1034