Steven Gerrard is haunted by a recurring nightmare. In it he leaps amid a gaggle of blue-shirted opponents intent upon planting a defensive header clear of the six-yard box, only to flounder, agonisingly, in mid-air. His world lurches into slow motion, the loose ball glancing from the top of his crew-cut to fly into his own net. With it, a glistening trophy is cruelly snatched away.
Gasping back into reality usually brings no relief, with Chelsea still pursuing Gerrard through his waking hours, though an opportunity to make amends beckons. At Stamford Bridge tonight he can begin to exorcise the painful memories of February's English League Cup final.
"If you look into Stevie's eyes you can see a determination to put things right," said Rafael Benitez, who had watched his captain's late own-goal restore parity in Cardiff for the game to slip away in extra-time. "Talking to him, watching him in training, he so clearly wants to do well."
Resolve smoulders in this Liverpool side, but Gerrard has more reason than most to excel in the first all-English Champions League semi-final. Even outrageous optimists on Merseyside could hardly have envisaged a place in the last four of Europe's elite this season. As a club that has not featured on this stage for 20 years contemplates unlikely glory the captain's future is effectively being determined in the gaze of the world.
To mention Gerrard without alluding to Chelsea's interest in him is impossible. Last summer the 24-year-old was paraded at an Anfield press conference to reiterate his future lay with the club he has supported since his youth. Since then, he has had to endure his suitors sweeping all before them while Liverpool falter.
The midfielder's mood has fluctuated as much as his team's form. He has rarely appeared happier than on the Tarmac at Cologne airport after the knockout win over Leverkusen as he thrilled at the prospect of a possible draw against Milan or Internazionale in the quarter-finals so as to play at San Siro. Yet back in December, when a two-goal win was needed against Olympiakos to propel Benitez's side out of the group stage, his frustrated ambition had surfaced in a pre-match admission that he wanted to be in a team challenging consistently for the highest honours. That was a warning.
Gerrard, like Robbie Fowler before him, has established iconic status in his home city to the extent that some would consider his upping sticks to the capital a heinous act. So affected have a minority of supporters become with the constant link to Chelsea that the ludicrous conspiracy theory was aired on radio phone-ins that the captain deliberately converted the own-goal in Cardiff. That allegation cut deeply and prompted his fierce celebration - shirt in mouth and pointing to the badge - after scoring in the derby last month.
Others fans would accept the realities of modern-day football. Should Chelsea jettison Liverpool from Europe then he will have proof his thirst for trophies could only be quenched with Chelsea.
"I don't think he's thinking about his future," said Benitez. "His mind is on winning this game. It's difficult for a player at his level if everybody's talking about his future, but he knows how important this tie is for our club, the fans, the players.
"He has a determination to win this match. With Xabi (Alonso) and Stevie both fit we know we can play good football, and that makes it easier to win. We controlled the game against Chelsea at Anfield with them playing together until Alonso was injured, so they have seen only about 20 minutes of the Liverpool we want. I hope they'll see 180 minutes in this tie."
In that midfield axis lies Liverpool's hope. Alonso and Gerrard complement each other superbly: the Spaniard rarely surrendering possession as he calmly dictates play from deep; the Englishman all leggy energy marauding forward with menace. They unsettled Chelsea at Anfield on New Year's Day until Frank Lampard cracked Alonso's ankle.
Those 28 minutes when the hosts thrilled and the visitors creaked represent the only period in five hours of football between the sides this season when Gerrard and Alonso have worked in tandem. "Chelsea do not know us," said Alonso. "The three previous matches have been very close but we've never had our key players in the side. Maybe things will be different now."
