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Chelsea and Liverpool will face off at Stamford Bridge tonight in the most high-profile clash of the first gameweek of the 2023-24 Premier League season.
Neither Liverpool nor Chelsea had a memorable 2022-23 campaign. While Liverpool did eventually manage to spring back to form in the closing stages of last term, the rot at Chelsea just could not be contained. It was the Blues' worst top-flight campaign in almost 30 years.
They finished 12th in the league table last term, scoring a mere 38 goals and a summer of change has followed at Stamford Bridge. Mauricio Pochettino was appointed as their manager in July and the squad has undergone a massive overhaul this summer transfer window.
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Liverpool have also bolstered their ranks over the last couple of months and will be looking to kickstart their campaign on a positive note. Can Chelsea get the Pochettino era off to a winning start or will Jurgen Klopp's men throw a spanner in their works? Several factors point to the latter.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five reasons why Chelsea will struggle against Liverpool tonight.
#5 It's Pochettino's first-ever competitive game in charge of Chelsea
10 points separated Chelsea from the relegation zone at the end of the 2022-23 Premier League season. They won 11 matches and lost 16 in the league last term and the Blues failed to pick up a single win from their last 11 games.
While Pochettino is a revered coach in England thanks to his exploits at Southampton and Tottenham Hotspur, he can't be expected to transform Chelsea's fortunes overnight.
The morale can't be too high at the club following their 2022-23 campaign. The Argentine manager is also most likely to be still navigating the process of getting to know his players and sketching out effective and long-term strategies.
Meanwhile, this is Klopp's ninth season in charge of Liverpool. Although they've rejigged their setup over the summer and have a new-look midfield, there will be a lot more cohesiveness about the Reds. This is because most of Liverpool's starters have now been at the club for at least a season.
New signings Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister could make their competitive Liverpool debuts tonight. It's worth bearing in mind that Mac Allister, formerly of Brighton & Hove Albion, has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt.
Liverpool's midfield lacked energy and bite last season. Szoboszlai and Mac Allister are expected to improve the Merseysiders' midfield. As such, Klopp's side is unlikely to encounter much trouble as they incorporate the two new signings into the team.
#4 Chelsea's new-look team will take time to settle down
Chelsea's profligacy in the transfer market rather expectedly paid no dividends last season. They headed into this summer transfer window desperately needing to offload players to balance their books.
Several high-profile players like Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Kai Havertz, Kalidou Koulibaly, Christian Pulisic, N'Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Cesar Azpilicueta and Ruben Loftus-Cheek, among others, left Chelsea this summer.
But they've managed to make a few promising signings as well. The Blues have roped in Christopher Nkunku, Axel Disasi, Nicolas Jackson, Lesley Ugochukwu, Robert Sanchez and Angelo to bolster their squad.
Suffice it to say, this Chelsea side is almost unrecognizable from last season as several of their biggest stars have left the club or been replaced in the past couple of months.
New signings will take their time to settle down and also get on the same page as their teammates. It won't be straightforward for those players who have survived the summer exodus either. They are also likely to take some time to adapt to Pochettino's system and style of play.
#3 Liverpool's attackers are in form
Liverpool's forwards looked sharp in pre-season. They scored 18 goals in five friendlies while shipping in 11. While Klopp will need his defenders to step up and plug the leak at the back, he has good reason to place his trust in his attackers to deliver the goods.
Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz fared well in pre-season. They could cause plenty of problems for Chelsea's backline tonight.
#2 Chelsea's poor recent record at home
Chelsea's last win at Stamford Bridge came against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League on March 7. They have since gone winless in eight home games in all competitions, losing four.
Suffice it to say, Stamford Bridge has been far from a fortress and Chelsea's performances on home soil in recent times hardly inspire confidence. It's going to be difficult to turn that record around against this Liverpool side.
#1 Pochettino's poor record against Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp
Pochettino and Klopp are familiar foes. During the former's time in charge of Tottenham Hotspur, the two have come face-to-face plenty of times. It's worth noting that Pochettino has lost all of his last four matches as manager against Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool.
This includes the 2018-19 Champions League final loss which was when things started to go downhill for Pochettino at Spurs. He was sacked just five months later in November. In 11 meetings against Klopp's Liverpool during his time at Tottenham, Pochettino could only lead his side to one win.
Another key stat is that Pochettino has managed to win just three of his 16 matches against Liverpool as a manager. The Merseysiders have simply proven to be a difficult side to beat for the Argentine coach.
