Chelsea recently drew 1-1 with Liverpool in the first match of the new season. Here are five of the best moments from the encounter at Stamford Bridge.
1. Abundant Attack Power
When there were not enough midfielders available, coach Jurgen Klopp chose an attack-heavy squad despite being a guest at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool easily outplayed Chelsea in the first 30 minutes and merited Luis Diaz’s early goal. Klopp’s team could have won again if Mohamed Salah’s goal had not been disallowed for offside.
Looking back, Liverpool demonstrated a fearsome attack force during the pre-season tour, scoring four goals in two games.
2. A new season brings new optimism.
After finishing 12th in the Premier League table last season, Chelsea fans have cause to believe that new coach Mauricio Pochettino and rookies will make a difference this season.
Although Chelsea did not win, there are many positives to take away from their opening game of the season against a good and seasoned Liverpool squad. The Blues struggled at first, but following Axel Disasi’s equalizer, they were confident in their performance. For the rest of the game, the home squad dominated the away team.
If Chelsea can continue to play like this in the foreseeable future, they will undoubtedly finish significantly higher in the rankings.
3. Salah’s Development
In preseason, Salah got seven assists. And in less than 20 minutes this season, the Egyptian superstar provided another assist, this time a set-piece pass for Diaz to score.
Salah’s transformation into a terrific passer has been ongoing for almost a year. If teammates know how to capitalize on openings, the former AS Roma star becomes even more dangerous.
4. ‘Rookies’ from Chelsea
Aside from Axel Disasi’s amazing performance, many other players are making their debuts for The Blues. Malo Gusto, Ian Maatsen, and Lesley Ugochukwu all started against Liverpool, while Robert Sanchez, Disasi, Levi Colwill, and Nicolas Jackson came off the bench. And they were mostly impressed.
In goal, Robert Sanchez was outstanding. Levi Colwill struggled at first, but then delivered a composed performance alongside Silva and Disasi. Nicolas Jackson was always lively throughout the game, while Drogba 2.0 had a flawless debut.
5. Chelsea and Liverpool require the services of Romeo Lavia or Moises Caicedo.
Today’s meeting at Stamford Bridge demonstrates that both Chelsea and Liverpool urgently need to strengthen their midfields. Enzo Fernandez and Conor Gallagher of the Blues aren’t completely at ease with each other. Similarly, Liverpool’s midfield trio of Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Cody Gakpo – in the role of No. 8 – contributes to the team’s offensive prowess but lacks consistency.
As a result, Chelsea and Liverpool have a cause to battle for the signings of Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo.
