English FA Premiership: There was a glint in Frank Lampard's eye as he looked forward to tomorrow's encounter at Stamford Bridge. "Chelsea-Liverpool games have taken on something more over the last couple of seasons," the midfielder said, and this game will be no exception.

It cannot be simply a meeting of first and third when both teams are carrying baggage from the past. A rivalry has been stoked by various factors.

There was the "ghost goal" with which Luis Garcia decided last season's Champions League semi-final; Chelsea's thumping 4-1 Premiership victory at Anfield in October; the awful tackle on Didi Hamann by Michael Essien, who returns to the squad tomorrow after injury and may feature; penalties that Liverpool felt they should have been awarded; and a smattering of verbal jousting.

Lampard made it clear, while he holds no grudges, he has not forgotten remarks made a few months ago by Jamie Carragher. The defender suggested Chelsea can rely heavily on long balls and lacked dignity for still "crying" about Garcia's disputed strike and claiming the better team lost that tie. As Lampard prepared to take a penalty at Anfield soon after, Carragher had words, and not to advise on which way Jose Reina dives.

"It's football," Lampard shrugged yesterday before delivering a jab back. "The only thing you are surprised about is when players talk badly about other teams. You understand the right of fans and press to say things critical or back someone up, but I don't think players should criticise teams that have been successful and are doing things the right way.

"I wouldn't say they have got under our skin because we do focus and concentrate on ourselves but there were things said, which I think we came out and said after we beat them in the league. I think we were in a fair position to do so after we beat them because we felt we had been talked about in a bad way and we put it right in that game, which is the main place to do your talking."

Liverpool have proved awkward customers of late at Stamford Bridge, securing successive goalless draws in Europe. A similar outcome would better suit Mourinho's team if the visitors, 18 points behind with two games in hand, retain title pretensions.

Rafa Benitez's squad are closer to Chelsea's Premiership pace than last season but Lampard's acknowledgment of that came with a reminder. "I think Liverpool have made big strides forward but I think probably they had to," he said. "A club of Liverpool's size . . . had to move forward with the squad they've got. They've spent good money in the last year or two, have a good manager, so they had to. They've moved up to the level where Man U and Arsenal have been for the last few seasons."

Lampard referred to Liverpool's European Cup triumph as a "fantastic" achievement, though, and has his eye on that prize. Barcelona await, and Lampard knows Chelsea will need to improve on recent form, which has brought draws against Charlton, Everton and Aston Villa.

"Barcelona are a fantastic team, playing great football and dominating the Spanish league in a similar way to how we have done at home," said the 27-year-old, who makes his 250th Chelsea appearance tomorrow. "So we need to be at our best to tackle a team of their abilities."

Lampard is starting a defining six months, with the Premiership, Champions League, FA Cup and World Cup in his sights. "It is a critical time, an exciting time and a time where I think domestically with Chelsea I'm capable, hopefully, of achieving a lot," he said. "I want to do that and then obviously the World Cup is finally here. I think we've got a squad and team and individuals that really can have a right good go at winning the competition."