Following successive defeats in two London derbies, against QPR and Arsenal, it was imperative we returned to winning ways at Ewood Park, and whilst the performance wasn't the most pleasing on the eye, it was exactly what was required in order to restore confidence and belief to the whole squad in the wake of the those two capital capitulations.

Ivanovic was a key figure during the victory at Blackburn, expertly crossing with the outside of his right foot for Frank Lampard to head home the only goal of the game, and playing an instrumental part in keeping a late Blackburn onslaught at bay, ensuring only a second clean sheet of the Barclays Premier League season for the Blues in the process.

The Serbian international was only too aware of the need to halt our dip in form, and carry that momentum into this weekend's game.

'The win at Blackburn was very important for us; it was a very good victory, and now we need to change the current situation,' he says. 'We need to close the gap, and we will do everything to win the game. It will be a very hard game but we will do our best.'

Having played alongside John Terry at the heart of the defence for most of this season, Ivanovic was moved out to right-back for the Blackburn game in order to accommodate the returning Alex, and it was a move which paid off handsomely given his assist for Lampard's decisive strike.

'We have used a lot of rotation this season and, for the Blackburn game, I was playing at right-back having played for most of the season so far in the middle, but it was good for my confidence to create the goal. Personally, it was very nice, but the most important thing was obviously to win the match.'

The rivalry with Liverpool has certainly intensified in recent years; building initially through the constant battles in the latter stages of the Champions League a few years ago, and surging to a new level following the high-profile transfer of Fernando Torres last January.

Home or away, games against the men from Anfield are never easy, and having lost both league games against them last season, Ivanovic is under no illusions as to what will be required on Sunday.

'Liverpool are a very strong team; they have a good attack and play quick football, so we need to be ready. We are at home, and we need to make that advantage count in order to close the gap at the top.'

Luis Suarez, in particular, has earned plenty of plaudits since his move to Liverpool late in last January's transfer window, and while the Uruguayan forward is yet to feature against Chelsea, Ivanovic is well aware of the threat he poses.

'Luis Suarez is a good player, of course, but it's not just him, they have a number of good attacking options and we will need to be at our best to stop them.'

Last season's two defeats aside, Ivanovic has fairly pleasant memories of his games against the Merseysiders, none more so than the first leg of the 2009 Champions League quarter-final up at Anfield, where having gone behind to an early Torres strike, two towering headers by Ivanovic put us in the ascendancy, and on our way to a memorable 3-1 victory.

Ivanovic Anfield

'Yes, the goals were very important for me, and it was obviously a great feeling to help us get the win,' he says. 'It's nice that people remember the goals, but the most important thing about it was the fact it helped us get an important win.'

Having already suffered defeats at the hands of both Manchester United and Arsenal, and matters at the top of the table extremely tight, a win against another one of our nearest rivals on Sunday is all the more important; a sentiment which is not lost on the defender.

'We always expect a difficult game after the international break, but this is a big match and we have to be ready to show the quality of our football, quality of our game and, most importantly, win the match.'

There are still some hospitality tickets available for Sunday's game.