The 2023/24 Premier League season kicked off with an exciting matchup as Chelsea faced Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
Both teams had disappointing performances in the previous season and were aiming to make a strong comeback by securing a spot in the Champions League and potentially contending for the league title.
The match ended in a draw, with both teams sharing the points in the first game of the fresh new PL season. The game started with an open style of play, but Chelsea appeared uneasy when controlling the ball in their defensive area.
The match saw Dominik Szoboszlai’s runs on the right wing causing trouble for Chelsea, allowing Mohamed Salah to shift inside effectively during the first half.
Chelsea’s initial attacking efforts primarily revolved around long balls forward, with manager Mauricio Pochettino seemingly relying on wing-backs for creativity.
Salah’s attempt hit the crossbar 11 minutes in, following a swift counter sparked by Cody Gakpo’s pass.
A masterpiece of a move, finished off @LuisFDiaz19 🎨
That @MoSalah assist by the way 😍 pic.twitter.com/B7zkIpcVrn
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 13, 2023
Reece James applied pressure on Liverpool down the right flank, delivering a quality ball to Nicolas Jackson, who narrowly missed a shot opportunity.
Despite Chelsea’s efforts, it was Liverpool that gained the lead. Mac Alister delivered a precise pass to Salah, who then supplied a perfect cross to Luis Diaz, and the winger did the rest. The Colombian attacker scored the first goal at the 18th-minute mark.
Around the 25-minute mark, Salah once again came close to scoring their second goal, but a remarkable block by Thiago Silva prevented it.
However, merely four minutes later, Silva’s efforts were in vain as Trent Alexander-Arnold provided a pass to Salah, who believed he had secured his first goal of the season. However, the goal was disallowed due to offside.
Although Chelsea’s defence was breached multiple times in the early stages, they managed to level the score just before the conclusion of the first half through Axel Disasi in the 37th minute.
In a span of less than a minute, Ben Chiwell believed he had given Chelsea the lead, but his goal was cancelled due to being offside.
Off the mark on debut! 🙌#CheLiv pic.twitter.com/DOe6G96Sst
— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) August 13, 2023
The Chelsea forward was close to conceding a penalty for a handball early in the second half, but the decision was overturned after a review by VAR. A minute later, Chilwell from Chelsea went in the opposite direction and forced a solid save from Alisson.
Alisson was called upon again 70 minutes into the match, making another impressive save, this time from Jackson.
Chelsea maintained control in the second half, and with Liverpool’s key player Mo Salah substituted off, Liverpool struggled to mount a significant offensive threat.
A poor pass from Sanchez almost handed Liverpool a late-goal opportunity, but Darwin Nunez’s first touch was poor. Nunez had another chance to secure victory in the dying stages of the game, but his shot deflected wide.
Chelsea had a chance to counter-attack through a resulting corner, but Alisson quickly closed down Mudryk’s attempt to score in the last kick of the match.
Both sides gave fans a dramatic game of football and although they both grabbed a point each, the team’s positive all-round performance was a joy to watch.
