Liverpool's improving early season progress was halted by an embarrassing 2-0 defeat against Fiorentina in Italy on Tuesday, and they must now take on Chelsea at Stamford Bridge tomorrow in a crunch Barclays Premier League match.

Chelsea have a 100 per cent home league record this term, and only lost their first game of the season at Wigan last weekend - a result that knocked them off the top of the table.

After a few days of inquests over the worrying display in Tuscany, a trip to Chelsea is maybe the last thing Liverpool need.

But Kuyt, forever the optimist, said: "Okay, Chelsea had an unbeaten record until last weekend, but I'm not really worried about them.

"If we play to the level we're capable of, we can win there again. We beat them home and away last season, so why not this year too?

"It's always a difficult game at Stamford Bridge but I believe we showed something last season by winning there.

"By beating both Chelsea and Manchester United twice each in the league last term, we proved we can beat most teams home and away.

"Chelsea have a group of players who have been together for a long time and with fantastic strikers such as Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka.

"But we know them well after playing against each other many times."

He added: "We know what we have to do. At this stage we've already lost twice, and that's the same amount as the whole of last season in the league.

"We just have to worry about our own games for now. Chelsea is a big game but we just have to look at ourselves.

"It's too early to talk about where the title is going, but if we beat Chelsea we'll be right back in there."

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez will have Javier Mascherano and Daniel Agger back from injuries to bolster a side still smarting over that midweek horror show in Florence.

And at Stamford Bridge the performances of key strikers Didier Drogba for Chelsea and Fernando Torres for Liverpool could be decisive.

Benitez said: "Both sides have top strikers, both amongst the best in Europe if not the world. They are hard to compare, Drogba is stronger while Torres is quicker.

"I am really pleased with Fernando and (Chelsea boss Carlo) Ancelotti is very pleased with Drogba, they are both important in different ways.

"Both can change a game, both score goals, but they are different in other ways. But it is difficult to say who is the best, one month one will be scoring and on fire, the next month it could be the other."

The battle on the pitch will be fierce, but Benitez insists he will not be at war with the latest Chelsea manager, Ancelotti, a man the Spaniard considers a coaching "magician."

Benitez's verbal battles with former Chelsea chief Jose Mourinho were a dynamic feature of Liverpool matches in domestic and European competition with the west Londoners.

The pair did not get on, and it showed. But Benitez promises everything will be sweetness and light when he confronts Ancelotti.

Benitez went head to head with Ancelotti in two Champions League finals for Liverpool when his rival was boss at AC Milan.

The Spaniard said: "I am looking forward to seeing him again, it will be an interesting meeting and I have great respect for him.

"We have competed together at two Champions League finals and now for the first time in the league. He is a great manager, and hopefully we will meet again in another European final at the end of the season.

"He knows how to manage a top side, he had great experience at AC Milan and he is already doing a good job at Chelsea.

"He has not changed too much here, maybe the shape of the team a little but the style of football is similar and the people there are happy because he is winning games."

He added: "I have a lot of respect for Ancelotti, he is a nice man and wants to win. But we do respect each other.

"He has experience of working with top class players, that is important."