After a nervous start to Mauricio Pochettino’s introduction to life at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea ended it looking fitter and more coherent than an inconsistent Liverpool.
The positives outweighed the negatives for Pochettino, even if he still has to address familiar failings in attack, and once the dust settled it was hard not to feel that the bigger concerns belonged to Jürgen Klopp.
Beyond Mohamed Salah’s angry reaction to being taken off after an ineffective second-half display, what really hit home was how quickly Liverpool fizzled out after dominating the first 25 minutes. The system unravelled and, while Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alexis Mac Allister caught the eye with their passing from deep, it was easy to see why Klopp wants Moisés Caicedo so badly. Liverpool still lack stability in midfield, threatening their hopes of a title challenge, and there is no doubt that Caicedo would make them a far more rounded outfit.
Unfortunately for Klopp, of course, the expectation is that the Brighton midfielder will join Chelsea for £115m. They are set to break the British transfer record for the second time in six months, which perhaps explains why Pochettino keeps talking about needing to win now, and Caicedo will probably be an excellent partner for Enzo Fernández in midfield.
Fernández impressed as this game wore on, offering the kind of classy touches that ought to come naturally to £106.8m midfielders, though he was helped by a whole-hearted display from Conor Gallagher. Chelsea, who could also beat Liverpool to Southampton’s Roméo Lavia, lacked that commitment last season.
This is a fresh start, although their failure to open their campaign with a win was broadly down to their lack of ruthlessness in the final third. Christopher Nkunku was missed after having knee surgery and while Chelsea responded well to Luis Díaz’s opening, levelling through Axel Disasi’s debut goal, the fact remains that Pochettino could do with adding more firepower to his squad. Nicolas Jackson and Mykhailo Mudryk spurning chances built the case for another striker to come in before the transfer window shuts.
By the same token it must be pointed out that Jackson appears to have the tools to succeed in the Premier League. The former Villarreal striker was a handful throughout, his touch and mobility repeatedly troubling Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté, while Pochettino will also take encouragement from how many problems Raheem Sterling gave Andy Robertson.
Sterling’s combinations with Chelsea’s new captain, Reece James, were a constant feature and Ben Chilwell also impressed at left wing. Equally, though, it was not as if Liverpool were constantly outplayed. They were quick to impose themselves, Cody Gakpo breaking through the lines and Salah curling against the bar in the 12th minute, and the high press functioned well at first. Dominik Szoboszlai worked hard to retrieve possession on his debut and Klopp’s decision to continue with Alexander-Arnold as an auxiliary midfielder was highly effective when the visitors had the ball.
Having spent pre-season experimenting with his new squad, there was a new ploy from Pochettino. What looked like a back three on paper turned out to be a back four, with James at right-back, Disasi and Thiago Silva in the centre and Levi Colwill making his debut at left-back, and Chelsea needed a while to settle. They had four debutants on the pitch after a summer that has so far seen 12 players leave the club and it was worth remembering that he is doing so at a club who remain without a shirt sponsor.
But Liverpool are also rebuilding. With Jordan Henderson, Naby Keïta, James Milner, Fabinho and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain gone, Gakpo and Szoboszlai pushed high and the use of Mac Allister at the base of midfield had mixed results.
Mac Allister was a No 6 wearing the No 10 shirt. The former Brighton midfielder demanded the ball on his debut, pleasing Klopp, and was involved when Liverpool went ahead in the 18th minute. The move began with Alisson playing out from the back and the danger increased when Mac Allister sprayed a piercing ball to Salah. Free to run at Colwill, Salah pushed the youngster back and carved Chelsea apart with a curving ball for Díaz to run off Disasi and beat Robert Sánchez.
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Chelsea probably would have collapsed last season. Wesley Fofana is out for the season and Sánchez, a £25m summer signing from Brighton, was not expected to be in goal before Real Madrid decided to sign Kepa Arrizabalaga on loan.
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Pochettino demands steel, though. Chelsea benefited from some fortune, not least when Liverpool were prevented from going 2-0 up when Salah was judged offside after being released by Alexander-Arnold and firing home. Yet Disasi was strong and Jackson was tenacious. Chelsea stirred, Sterling wriggling through on the right and winning a corner. Liverpool could not clear their lines and they cracked under sustained aerial pressure, Chilwell guiding a header back into the area and Disasi punishing sleepy defending from Alexander-Arnold by poking the loose ball beyond Alisson.
Liverpool’s frailties grew. Alexander-Arnold’s defensive deficiencies were exposed when Fernández released Chilwell, who was denied a goal by a tight offside call. Short of protection, Mac Allister began to struggle. Liverpool became frayed and, as their creative threat dimmed, there was the spectacle of Salah chucking his wristbands to the turf after being withdrawn.
Darwin Núñez threatened after coming off the bench, but Chelsea finished well. Chilwell, Jackson and Mudryk all went close, pleasing Pochettino. He will be even more optimistic once Caicedo arrives.
