Infoinsport.com – Mauricio Pochettino commences his tenure as the manager of Chelsea by facing Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in an exciting Premier League opening match at Stamford Bridge on Sunday afternoon.
The two English giants will strive to set aside their disappointing performances in the previous top-flight season and aim for a more formidable competition in order to secure at least a top-four position this time.
Match Preview Chelsea vs Liverpool
It can be deemed fair to state that Chelsea’s initial season, under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, was eventful. However, it ultimately concluded in a disastrous manner, as they witnessed the club’s most dreadful performance in the top division in almost three decades.
Despite spending over £600m on new signings in two transfer windows, Chelsea finished the 2022-23 campaign without any trophies and failed to qualify for European competition. They ended up in 12th place in the Premier League, sitting 10 points above the relegation zone and a significant 27 points behind the top four.
The experiments conducted by Graham Potter and Frank Lampard in the dugout did not have the desired impact. Some argue that Potter was not given enough time to make his mark on the club. However, there is now a lot of optimism surrounding the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino, the former manager of Tottenham Hotspur. Pochettino is widely recognized as one of the best coaches in international football and has been praised for his talent in mentoring young players.
So far this summer, the Argentine has been responsible for a significant departure of first-team players, resulting in a profit of over £200m. Additionally, notable additions such as Christopher Nkunku, Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi, Robert Sanchez, and Lesley Ugochukwu have joined the team, with more anticipated arrivals at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea had a successful pre-season, remaining undefeated and emerging as champions of the first-ever Premier League Summer Series. They earned a total of seven points from matches against Brighton & Hove Albion, Newcastle United, and Fulham, which allowed them to secure the top position in the six-team standings. In their last friendly game, the Blues managed to salvage a 1-1 draw when young player Mason Burstow scored an equalizing goal in the 89th minute against Borussia Dortmund.
Pochettino, having won only three out of his previous 16 meetings with Liverpool as a manager, is currently getting ready for a challenging start as Chelsea’s new boss against a Reds team. The Reds have had a draw in each of their last six meetings with the Blues, with the last four matches ending without any goals. This includes both Premier League games from last season. It is worth noting that no other game in the history of English football has ever resulted in a goalless draw for five consecutive times.
Team News Chelsea vs Liverpool
Chelsea has suffered a double blow of injuries ahead of the new campaign, with both Wesley Fofana and summer signing Christopher Nkunku ruled out for several months due to knee injuries.
Benoit Badiashile, Noni Madueke (both with hamstring injuries), and Armando Broja (recovering fitness) did not feature in any games during the pre-season. However, all three players have now returned to training and there is a possibility that they could be chosen for Pochettino’s matchday squad.
Captain Reece James and Ben Chilwell ought to occupy the full-back positions, whereas Axel Disasi will contend with Thiago Silva and Levi Colwill for a starting spot in the center-back position, and the same situation applies to Kepa Arrizabalaga and Robert Sanchez for the goalkeeper position.
Nicolas Jackson is scheduled to make his first appearance as a forward, with the possibility of Raheem Sterling and Mykhaylo Mudryk playing on the wings. Meanwhile, in the midfield, Enzo Fernandez, Conor Gallagher, and Carney Chukwuemeka could potentially form a trio.
Regarding Liverpool, they will be lacking midfielders Thiago Alcantara and Stefan Bajcetic, who are currently in the process of recuperating from individual hip and adductor injuries.
The Reds are planning to use a 3-4-3 formation, with Trent Alexander-Arnold as an inverted full-back, and new captain Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Andrew Robertson in the other defensive positions.
Mac Allister and Szoboszlai are both expected to make their competitive debuts in midfield, and one of either Curtis Jones or Harvey Elliot could join them in the starting lineup.
Mohamed Salah, a former player of Chelsea, scored twice and provided seven assists in five pre-season matches. It is anticipated that Salah will maintain his position on the right side of a front three. Meanwhile, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz, and Diogo Jota will compete for the remaining two starting positions in the attack.
Lineup Chelsea vs Liverpool
Chelsea possible starting lineup:
Arrizabalaga; James, Silva, Colwill, Chilwell; Fernandez, Gallagher; Sterling, Chukwuemeka, Mudryk; Jackson
Liverpool possible starting lineup:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Jones, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Nunez, Diaz
Prediction Chelsea vs Liverpool
The final score of the match between Chelsea and Liverpool was 2-2.
Both Chelsea and Liverpool have neutralized each other in low-scoring matches in recent years, and it would not be unexpected for the outcome to be evenly split once more at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
However, an entertaining contest is expected and there may be more goal-scoring opportunities this time because both teams’ defenses have been weak during pre-season.
