LONDON – Mauricio Pochettino’s first match as Chelsea manager ended in a breathless, hard-fought home draw with Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool, reported PA Meida/dpa.
Both sides attempted to kick off the new season with a bang after disappointing campaigns, with the Blues particularly bruised having finished 12th at the end of a humiliating season.
Former Tottenham favourite Pochettino has been tasked with turning Chelsea around and oversaw a promising performance in their Premier League opener, with debutant Axel Disasi cancelling out Luis Diaz’s effort in a 1-1 draw.
The sides also saw one goal apiece ruled out for offside in a helter-skelter encounter that showed how much both would benefit from a midfielder like Moises Caicedo or Romeo Lavia.
Chelsea and Liverpool will renew their transfer battle for a number six after yesterday’s action-packed clash in the Stamford Bridge sunshine.
Mohamed Salah saw an early effort rattle the crossbar before expertly slipping in Diaz to score a goal that the Egypt star then coolly added to, only for it to be ruled out by video assistant referee (VAR).
Chelsea made the most of that let-off. Disasi levelled from a looping header by Ben Chilwell, who soon rounded Alisson to score, only for the VAR to rule him offside as well.
The teams played out an entertaining second half without a winner and Salah looked irked to have been taken off as Liverpool hunted a second.
Chelsea ended strongly but made an uneasy start to yesterday’s game. Carney Chukwuemeka was booked in the fourth minute for a high foot and Diogo Jota mishit poorly after good work by debutant Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool played with more edge than the new-look hosts, with Salah recovering a poor Cody Gakpo pass, turning and continuing to curl a 20-yard right-footed effort off the crossbar.
The former Chelsea player started the afternoon with a bit between his teeth and produced a moment of magic in the 18th minute.
Salah collected the ball on the right, ran at homegrown debutant Levi Colwill and fizzed an exquisite left-footed pass through for Diaz to slide home.
The west Londoners pushed for a leveller, but their defence continued to look susceptible.
Thiago Silva produced a key block to deny Salah and soon afterward Trent Alexander-Arnold’s brilliant pass put the forward through to coolly dink over new Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez.
It looked like a potentially decisive goal, only for the VAR’s intervention to give Chelsea renewed hope. Salah had strayed marginally offside and Pochettino’s Blues quickly capitalised.
Alexander-Arnold sent a threatening Raheem Sterling cross aimed for Nicolas Jackson behind his own goal and Liverpool failed to deal with the resulting corner.
Chilwell kept his cool as Chelsea kept the pressure on, looping a header over for Disasi to stretch and turn past Alisson, sparking 37th-minute celebrations.
Within two minutes, the volume went up several more notches. Enzo Fernandez’s nudged pass put Chilwell through to round Alisson and turn home what Chelsea thought was their second, only for the VAR to step in for offside once again.
Salah and Jackson had further shots as a frantic first half ended 1-1, with play continuing in similar fashion when play resumed.
Klopp rang the changes in search of a winner and Salah looked unhappy to be withdrawn, ripping the strapping off his wrist as he angrily walked off the pitch.
Debutant Sanchez nearly gifted Liverpool a late winner, with his poor pass cut out by Alexis Mac Allister, but Darwin Nunez was unable to capitalise. – Bernama, August 14, 2023
