Mauricio Pochettino faces a tough test as his Chelsea side takes on Liverpool in their opener in the Premier League. The two English juggernauts will make an effort to move past their lackluster top-flight performances from the previous year and establish a more formidable bid for at least a top-four finish this time around.
Preview (Chelsea vs Liverpool)
It is fair to say that Chelsea’s first season under Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital’s ownership was eventful. It also turned out to be a disaster as they presided over the team’s worst top-flight campaign. Chelsea finished the 2022–23 season without a trophy and without earning a spot in the European playoffs despite spending more than £600 million on new players over the course of two transfer windows. They finished 12th in the Premier League. That was 10 points above the relegation zone and a remarkable 27 points behind the top four.
The Argentine has managed a significant exodus of first-team players thus far this summer. They earned over £200 million while prominent acquisitions include Lesley Ugochukwu, Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi, Christopher Nkunku, and Nicolas Jackson. Chelsea topped the six-team standings with seven points from three games. The Blues then salvaged a 1-1 draw against Borussia Dortmund in their final exhibition game last week. Mason Burstow scored an equalizer in the 89th minute.
The Reds were unable to mount a significant claim for any major trophies last season after pushing their pursuit of an unprecedented quadruple to the very end in 2021–22. Instead, they watched their recent rivals Manchester City achieve a record treble and rivals Manchester United lift the EFL Cup. Liverpool’s failure to add new midfielders to their roster last season ultimately cost them the game, but Klopp has subsequently overseen a big midfield revamp at Anfield this summer. Fabinho and captain Jordan Henderson are two of the seven midfielders who have already left the club.
Team News
Wesley Fofana and summer addition Christopher Nkunku are both sidelined for several months with knee injuries. Chelsea has a double injury blow ahead of the new season. Benoit Badiashile, Noni Madueke, and Armando Broja did not play in any preseason games owing to hamstring injuries. They have resumed training, they could be included in Pochettino’s matchday squad. Reece James, the team’s captain, and Ben Chilwell should start at fullback. Axel Disasi, Thiago Silva, and Levi Colwill will compete for the starting center-back position. Kepa Arrizabalaga and Robert Sanchez will compete for the starting goalkeeper position.
Raheem Sterling and Mykhaylo Mudryk may play on the wings, and Nicolas Jackson is poised to make his debut up front. Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher, and Carney Chukwuemeka may line up in midfield. Because they are still recovering from their respective hip and adductor ailments, Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic of Liverpool’s midfield will be absent. When the Reds have the ball, they plan to use a 3-4-3 formation with Trent Alexander-Arnold playing as an inverted full-back and new captain Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Andrew Robertson filling out the other defensive positions.
Chelsea 0 – 0 Liverpool
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