Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool: Debutant Axel Disasi earns Blues a point at Stamford Bridge after cancelling out Luis Diaz’s opener as Mauricio Pochettino’s team impress on his Premier League return
- It was yet another draw between Chelsea and Liverpool at Stamford Bridge
- Luis Diaz stretched to put Jurgen Klopp’s Reds ahead, but Axel Disasi equalised
- Watch the first full episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off’ here
As Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez caught a corner in added time and initiated a counter attack towards the sunshine, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp held his hands above his head like a man who feared a catastrophe may be about to unfold before him.
On this occasion it didn’t happen. The Chelsea move did carry them 90 yards in to the Liverpool penalty area only for Alexis MacAllister to apply a rather desperate but perfectly timed tackle at exactly the right moment.
But this, in one moment, was the essence of Liverpool during what could yet be a protracted period of transition. It’s impossible to take your eyes off them at either end of the field. Brilliant for the TV cameras but less palatable when you have designs on winning the Premier League.
Klopp fielded four forwards at Stamford Bridge and his team could have been halfway to victory after thirty minutes. By that time they had scored once though Luis Diaz, hit the bar and had another goal, from Mo Salah, ruled out for a tight offside.
But by the end, they were back to that familiar last season mix of irresistible and vulnerable. Indeed, by the time Salah was sulking his way towards the substitutes’ bench after being withdrawn with 15 minutes to go, Liverpool had long since lost any semblance of control of the game.
Mauricio Pochettino saw his team get a point with an impressive performance in his first Premier League game at Chelsea
Luis Diaz stretched himself out to put Liverpool in front within the first 20 minutes of Sunday’s game at Stamford Bridge
On his Chelsea debut, Axel Disasi scored in the 37th minute to pull the Blues level, which eventually ended as a draw
And the problem for them is that this may be as good as it gets in terms of this squad. With Chelsea seemingly about to gazump their opponents on two of their transfer targets – Southampton’s Romeo Lavia and Brighton’s Moises Caicedo – there is a sense of work in progress about Mauricio Pochettino’s group at Stamford Bridge. Liverpool, on the other hand, have just thrown £110m at the Caicedo deal only for them to end up running second in a two horse race. Already theirs looks like a midfield at least one central player short of where Klopp would like it to be and that will be a worry for the German as we enter the final two-and-half weeks of the transfer window.
There were bright spots here for Liverpool. MacAllister was excellent for the most part. Diaz showed signs of the free running form he exhibited before last season’s injury problems. They still carry that sense of insecurity, however. That wasn’t the way it was when they were running Manchester City close for league titles with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho providing the safety blanket in front of their back four. But that’s the way it is now and at the end of a pulsating game in west London a fifth successive draw against this opponent was probably the most that they deserved.
Chelsea were initially representative of exactly what they are, a new team. Only three of their summer signings were in Mauricio Pochettino’s side but, more tellingly, there were only four survivors from the Thomas Tuchel team that began last season with a win at Everton.
Slow to start, they were lucky to still be alive by the half hour. But improvement came courtesy of the influence of Enzo Fernandez in midfield and the Reece James/Raheem Sterling combination down the right. It was heartening to see those two full of form and fitness, something England manager Gareth Southgate will take something from too.
Liverpool certainly began as though they had a point to prove as well as points to take. They were lovely to watch and the energy and purpose of their football was initially too much for Chelsea. MacAllister settled in to his role as prompter and organiser and he always seemed to have a willing runner to aim at.
Salah struck the crossbar from 18 yards in the 12th minute then set up Diaz for the first goal six minutes later.
It was fabulous football that carried Liverpool from the hands of goalkeeper Alisson in to the heart of the Chelsea defence in seconds. The pass from MacAllister that found Salah wide on the right was a good one. Then the one that Salah played across goal and marginally out of reach of Chelsea defender Axel Disasi was so good that Diaz at the far post could not miss.
There were glimmers of hope for Chelsea at this time. New signing Nicolas Jackson shot across goal while Ibrahima Konate blocked a low effort from Fernandes. It was VAR that kept Chelsea in the game just before the half hour, though. Another superb pass – this time from Trent Alexander-Arnold – played Salah through and his chipped finish beat Sanchez with ease only for replays to reveal a marginal offside.
Mo Salah thought he had scored to put the Reds 2-0 up half an hour into the match, but it was disallowed for an offside call
Ben Chilwell’s goal – which would have given the Blues the lead shortly after Disasi’s equaliser – was also chalked off by VAR
Disasi was one of several new players on display, with both clubs momentarily in a state of flux amid ongoing transfer sagas
Stamford Bridge was becalmed but not for long. Alexander-Arnold was alert to clear a Sterling cross from danger in the 37th minute but less so when he failed to stop Disasi turning a recycled corner in from six yards. Level almost to their own surprise, Chelsea were celebrating the lead within 60 seconds when Sterling played Ben Chilwell through to score.
Once again VAR chalked off the goal and once again the margins were tight. But Chelsea were perhaps superior from this point on.
The second half was not as hectic as the pace slowed. Virgil van Dijk curled a shot over while Alisson saved sharply from the excellent Chilwell.
A draw was fair though Klopp will doubtless feel he could do without the chat that will now inevitably follow Salah’s minor show of dissent. He does, after all, have wider and more complicated puzzles to solve than that one.
MATCH FACTS
Chelsea: Sanchez, Disasi, Thiago Silva, Colwill, James (Gusto 76′), Gallagher, Fernandez, Chukwuemeka (Maatsen 81′), Chilwell (Ugochukwu 90′), Sterling (Mudryk 81′), Jackson.
Substitutes not used: Cucurella, Madueke, Santos, Burstow, Bergstrom.
Goal: Disasi 37′
Booked: Chukwuemeka, Fernandez, Jackson
Manager: Mauricio Pochettino
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konate, van Dijk, Robertson, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gakpo (Nunez 66′), Salah (Elliott 77′), Jota (Jones 66′), Diaz (Doak 77′).
Substitutes not used: Gomez, Tsimikas, Matip, Kelleher, McConnell.
Goal: Diaz 18′
Booked: Jota, Alexander-Arnold, Mac Allister
Manager: Jurgen Klopp
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire)
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