As insignificant as the FA Cup has unfortunately become, Saturday's final could prove to be the saving grace for either Liverpool or Chelsea's campaigns.
Both sides' Premier League form has been their worst for years. Kenny Dalglish's Reds have lost 13 league games and languish in eighth while Roberto di Matteo, and before him Andre Villas-Boas, have presided over nine defeats with the Blues.
Di Matteo's Chelsea are not even certified of European football this season. An FA Cup win will seal a Europa League berth, but Champions League football seems to depend on their final success against Bayern Munich, after Wednesday night's 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle left them in the lurch of sixth place.
Back in 1997, Chelsea won their first major trophy in 26 years as they beat Middlesbrough 2-0 in the FA Cup final, with Di Matteo hitting a 42-second opener.
However it was their 4-2 comeback against Liverpool in the fourth round which gave them the momentum in their march towards Wembley.
CHELSEA 4-2 LIVERPOOL, 1997 FA CUP FOURTH ROUND
Two-nil down after goals from Robbie Fowler and Stan Collymore, the arrival of three-times FA Cup winner Mark Hughes heralded a tremendous recovery during Stamford Bridge's redevelopment.
But this year's finalists endured a fractious rivalry when Jose Mourinho was appointed in charge of the west London club seven years later. Armed with Roman Abramovich's riches, he courted Steven Gerrard for two successive summers, with the Liverpool captain's own goal in the 2005 League Cup final for Chelsea prompting Scouse conspiracy theories.
LIVERPOOL 2-3 CHELSEA, 2005 LEAGUE CUP FINAL
The Reds captain even handed in a transfer request after the club's 2005 Champions League triumph, before doing a U-turn and snubbing the capital for good.
Rafael Benitez's Liverpool enjoyed three successive semi-final victories over the Portuguese's team. An FA Cup semi-final victory at Old Trafford in 2006 was sandwiched between two Champions League last four triumphs.
It took Avram Grant and then Guus Hiddink to break the Scouse spell over the cockney Blues. Jorge Valdano had described the first six European matches between the two clubs as "s**t on a stick" football, as only three goals were scored. Suddenly though, reticence was abandoned.
In the 2007/08 semi-final, Chelsea drew 1-1 at Anfield courtesy of a comical stoppage-time own goal from John Arne Riise in a game which the hosts dominated. Ex-Kop idol Phil Thompson turned a shade green viewing it.
JOHN ARNE RIISE'S OWN GOAL
And then the return leg ended 3-2 to Chelsea, who consequently reached their first ever European Cup final. But those two games preceded a quite extraordinary last-eight tie the following year.
Having threatened to repeat their 4-1 Anfield win of 2005, Chelsea came from behind to beat Liverpool 3-1 on Merseyside. Branislav Ivanovic's double and the inspirational Didier Drogba both undid Liverpool's uncharacteristically porous defence.
But for the return leg, Liverpool sprung a surprise as they defied expectations to score four goals past Petr Cech, only to concede four. There wasn't a s**t on a stick in sight.
CHELSEA 4-4 LIVERPOOL, 2009 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE QUARTER FINAL
This season the Reds vanquished Villas-Boas' Blues twice at Stamford Bridge in the league and Carling Cup. Di Matteo was assistant to the Portuguese before he was promoted, and will get two cracks at Liverpool himself, starting Saturday. Chelsea then travel to L4 next Tuesday.
CHELSEA 0-2 LIVERPOOL, 2011 LEAGUE CUP
Thrice the £50m Fernando Torres has played against his old club (including his Blues debut) and thrice he has ended up on the losing side. He scored seven times against Chelsea for Liverpool, and Saturday evening at Wembley will be the best place to make amends.
