The main takeaway was that both sides need the craft and energy of Moisés Caicedo in midfield. Chelsea and Liverpool played out an entertaining but flawed draw at Stamford Bridge, leaving Mauricio Pochettino and Jürgen Klopp with much to ponder.
Chelsea are likely to win the race to sign Caicedo from Brighton and they will feel encouraged after taking a point from Pochettino’s first game in charge. They were fit, committed and threatened to overwhelm Liverpool at times. Luis Díaz had given Liverpool an early lead but they did not look like title challengers. Chelsea, who levelled thanks to a debut goal from Axel Disasi, could have won it in the end.
If the failure of any marketing whizz to attempt an “El Caicedo” rebrand felt like a missed opportunity, it would soon become clear why both of these clubs have invested so much in trying to woo the Brighton midfielder. It has become the most tedious of sagas but it was impossible to ignore even once the game began. There always seemed to be space in the middle, yawning holes that a destroyer would have been able to close down, and it is unlikely that either of the coaches would have appreciated how many chances their sides gave away.
Given a warm ovation when he appeared just before kick-off, Pochettino must soon have spied a Caicedo-shaped hole in his team’s midfield. Liverpool were quick to impose themselves, Cody Gakpo breaking through the lines and Mohamed Salah curling against the bar in the 12th minute, and they looked sharp at first. The high press appeared to be functioning well, Dominik Szoboszlai working hard to retrieve possession on his debut, and Klopp’s decision to continue with Trent Alexander-Arnold as an auxiliary midfielder was highly effective when the visitors had the ball, even though Pochettino had tried to counter the tactic by stationing Ben Chilwell at left-wing.
Having spent pre-season experimenting with his new squad, Pochettino had come up with a new ploy. What looked like a back three on paper turned out to be a back four, with Reece James at right-back, Disasi and Thiago Silva on the right and Levi Colwill making his debut at left-back, but perhaps it was not a surprise that it took Chelsea a while to settle. They started with four debutants after another summer of change and, while Pochettino has been hired to restore order after a turbulent year under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, it was worth remembering that he is doing so at a club who have managed to start the season without a shirt sponsor.
There was a more familiar feel to Liverpool. Short of options in midfield after allowing Jordan Henderson, Naby Keïta, James Milner, Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to leave, Klopp went with an expansive team, as Gakpo and Szoboszlai pushed up to support the front three and Alexis Mac Allister found himself playing at the base of midfield.
#LFC player ratings, winners and losers vs Chelsea as Luis Díaz and seven more good @MattAddison97 🔴✍️https://t.co/FnCSnNjmga
— Liverpool.com (@Liverpoolcom_) August 13, 2023
Mac Allister was a number 6 with the number 10 on the back of his shirt. The Argentinian was quick to demand the ball, earning applause from Klopp, and was involved when Liverpool sliced through Chelsea in the 18th minute. The move began with Alisson playing out from the back and the danger increased when Mac Allister, who was given too much time to lift his head, sprayed a piercing ball out to Salah. Free to run at Colwill, Salah duly pushed the youngster back before using his left foot to carve Chelsea apart, a curving ball allowing Dïaz to run off Disasi and slip a first-time finish past Robert Sánchez.
Falling behind in that manner probably would have caused Chelsea to collapse last season. They could have made excuses. They are loaning Kepa Arrizabalaga to Real Madrid and Sánchez, a £25 million (€29 million) summer signing from Brighton, was not expected to start this game. They have lost Wesley Fofana to a long-term injury and the attack has been lightened by Christopher Nkunku having to undergo knee surgery.
Yet Pochettino already appears to have given Chelsea energy and more of an identity. Disasi was strong at the back. Nicolas Jackson was a handful on his first start up front, creating several chances with his tenacious hold-up play. Conor Gallagher, who could still leave this month, was typically industrious, racing back in the second half to stop Salah bursting through.
Of course, it could have been different had the VAR not deemed Salah offside when he ran on to a pass from Alexander-Arnold and fired past Sánchez. Instead of being 2-0 down, Chelsea still had hope. They found a second wind, Raheem Sterling stirring on the right and winning a corner. Liverpool were unable to clear their lines properly and when Chelsea put them under sustained pressure, Chilwell guiding a hopeful header back into the area, Disasi was able to take advantage of Alexander-Arnold’s failure to react, by peeling away from the defender and poking the loose ball beyond Alisson.
Lifted by one of their new boys, Stamford Bridge came alive. Liverpool became frayed, their discipline disappearing and Chelsea thought they had the lead when Chilwell scored after being released by Enzo Fernández. Another VAR check revealed that Chilwell was inches offside.
Chelsea were stronger during the second half, James and Sterling combining effectively on the right, Chilwell seeing a shot blocked by Alisson. Liverpool lost their rhythm and their threat was limited to Virgil van Dijk bending over from 20 yards.
Klopp tried to respond with changes and there was the spectacle of Salah angrily chucking his wristbands to the turf when he was taken off. Darwin Nuñéz, on as a substitute, saw a deflected shot bend wide but Chelsea could have won it. Mykhailo Mudryk was through in added time, only to fail to produce a clinical touch. — Guardian
