Rafael Benítez yesterday belittled Avram Grant's role at Chelsea by describing Liverpool's Champions League semi-final opponents as Roman Abramovich's team. In the first bout of psychological sparring before tomorrow's first leg at Anfield, the Liverpool manager claimed that Chelsea's style of play has not developed under Grant and that they remain wedded to the attritional football favoured by José Mourinho, his predecessor.

In contrast with the antipathy that he felt towards Mourinho, Benítez has enjoyed cordial relations with Grant, but that has not stopped him questioning the Israeli's contribution. Benítez has always insisted that Abramovich's spending power has been the main reason for success at Stamford Bridge and Mourinho's departure has done nothing to change his mind.

“There's no difference between this Chelsea and last year's Chelsea, only in the press conferences,” Benítez said. “I think it's more or less the same. I was watching the game at Everton on Thursday and they were playing more or less the same.

“As I've said before, the key to them was Abramovich. In the past I think they have built a fantastic team. You may miss José, yes, but not me. It could be they have less spirit than under Mourinho, you know maybe better than me. I have enough things to do at Liverpool now.

“But they were in the final of the Carling Cup. They are in the semi-finals of the Champions League. They are in the race for the title. So they have enough good players to win. We must be really careful.”

For all his comments, Benítez envies the stability that Abramovich has brought to Chelsea, with the in-fighting at Liverpool being brought back into focus by the prospect of Tom Hicks, the co-owner, attending tomorrow's match, his first this year.