Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool, Premier League: Post-match reaction, ratings

A wide-open and entertaining game, with Chelsea improving as things went along and giving some real promise for the season ahead.

We started a bit nervously, understandably, and Liverpool created multiple dangerous opportunities, especially from turnovers and poor touches. Salah rattled the crossbar on twelve minutes then, inevitably, set up Luis Díaz for the game’s opening goal six minutes later.

The goal seemed to settle us down, strangely enough, but just as we started showing some signs of life, Salah popped up again. Thankfully, this time he was ruled a hair offside.

We took that as a sign from the gods and turned up the quality and cohesion, putting together some excellent moves and finding the equalizer from a second ball on a corner. And we almost scored immediately after, but Chilwell, like Salah earlier, was a step offside. Jackson then missed a great chance as we finished the half on the front foot.

After the half-time breather, things took a few minutes to get revved up again. But a couple Chelsea turnovers gifted Liverpool a couple good looks, then Nicolas Jackson almost got called for an inadvertent handball in the area; thankfully VAR took a lenient view.

Chelsea then cranked up pressure of our own, and Chilwell wasted a glorious opportunity with a poor first touch. A few half-chances followed before the teams started making changes and the flow of the game got a bit more convoluted and scrappy as we headed into the final half hour.

The game never stopped being entertaining, but no clear cut chances followed. Mudryk almost got one at the end, but ended up too wide after rounding the goalkeeper from Jackson’s wonderful run.

And so, it’s another draw between Chelsea and Liverpool.

A decent start to the season.

Carefree.

• A surprising back-three look from Pochettino (3-5-2), with Colwill-Silva-Disasi across the back. Gallagher the deepest midfielder, with Enzo and Chukwuemeka pushing up. Reecey and Chilly at wingback, Sterling wide right, Jackson front and center but also dropping deep.
• Four debuts in the starting lineup (Colwill, Disasi, Jackson, Sánchez). Debut goal for Disasi. Another debut off the bench for Gusto, then also late on for Ugochukwu.
• Hopefully nothing serious for James on the apparent knock. Chilwell with the armband afterwards. Then Silva at the end.
• Seventh (7th!) straight draw between these two teams.
• This extended added-on time lark is ridiculous. Can just switch to a proper stopped-clock timekeeping already?!
• Next up: West Ham, away, next weekend
• KTBFFH

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