Chelsea show promise under Pochettino after outplaying Liverpool in stalemate
Not many predicted Chelsea to take anything out of their opening game of the Premier League season. Yes, the Blues were unbeaten throughout pre-season, but there were still justifiable doubts over what to expect from the new-look side.
Those doubts were, however, quickly quelled when they hosted Liverpool at Stamford Bridge on Sunday (August 13). In what was Mauricio Pochettino’s competitive debut, Chelsea put up a gallant performance. For a club that finished 12th last season and won nothing, the magnitude of the job on Pochettino’s hands isn’t lost on anyone.
Chelsea, though, played with character against Liverpool and, bar their slow start in the opening 20 minutes, they were largely the better side and had the Reds rattled for much of the game.
Chelsea outplay Liverpool
Liverpool’s bright start certainly brought back memories of how disorganised Chelsea were last season and the team’s general inability to withstand an onslaught.
However, despite falling behind in the 18th minute to Luis Diaz’s goal, the Blues didn't give up. Rather, they fought their way back and deservedly grabbed the equaliser through debutant Axel Disasi in the 37th minute.
From there, it was all Chelsea, and they were unlucky not to have gone ahead. The most impressive thing about their performance, though, was that they completely outplayed and out-fought Liverpool.
The Chelsea side of last season would’ve crumbled under pressure, but under Pochettino, they look transformed. Their impressive output against Liverpool only points to signs of better things to come.
Blues show promise of excitement under Pochettino
There were so many good individual performances for Chelsea against Liverpool, and that was mainly due to Pochettino’s tactical tweaks to suit his players.
By deploying a three-back system, the Argentine manager had a system that allowed his team to defend better against Liverpool’s attacking front four while also hurting the Reds at the other end.
They may have taken some time to settle but, once they did, Liverpool couldn’t handle them. Disasi and Levi Colwill enjoyed impressive debuts alongside the experienced Thiago Silva, while Enzo Fernandez, Carney Chukwuemeka and Conor Gallagher were imperious in the middle of the park.
Reece James’ marauding runs on the right flank caused Liverpool all sorts of problems, while Ben Chilwell was a menace on the opposite flank. Nicolas Jackson also stole the show on his debut with a tireless output up front and probably deserved a goal for his efforts.
“In the beginning, it was tough. Liverpool was better for 15/20 minutes. But after we started to feel more comfortable on the pitch, find our ways to play, our positions, all the things we were working on the training ground. After that, the performance was really good,” Pochettino admitted after the game, as quoted by Chelseafc.com.
He continued:
“We scored, and, then, we showed a great performance and effort. I am so pleased with the performance, and, I think, we deserved to win. We only conceded one shot on target against a team like Liverpool – that is a big credit to the players.
“It’s only the start, only the beginning. After six weeks of working together, all I can say is thank you to all the staff in all the areas of the clubs. But the players, they are the principal actors.”
For the first time in many months, the Blues played as a cohesive unit and like a team with a proper game plan. It may be early days, but things are looking up for the Blues, who could become an exciting side under Pochettino if the Liverpool game is anything to go by.