Chelsea and Liverpool meet in a heavyweight clash on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season and a tight contest is on the cards at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool have an exciting new midfield unit as they bid to improve on last season's fifth-placed finish while Mauricio Pochettino is hoping to make a winning start to his Chelsea career on Sunday (4.30pm KO).
- Chelsea and Liverpool To Draw
- 0-0 half-time correct score
- Conor Gallagher to be first player booked
Sequence Of Draws Could Continue At the Bridge
The last six league and cup meetings between Chelsea and Liverpool have all ended in draws, including the goalless stalemates in the 2021/22 EFL Cup and FA Cup finals which Liverpool went on to win on penalties.
The Reds missed out on Champions League qualification last season but they won seven and drew two of their last nine matches and have improved their midfield with the signings of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool are also closing in on Brighton star Moises Caicedo as they aim to lay down a serious challenge to Premier League champions Manchester City, but they may have to settle for a point at Chelsea.
Pochettino has inherited a side who finished 12th last term, scoring just 38 goals in 38 games, and it will surely take time for him to turn things around.
He is certainly capable of organising a defence – in his last four seasons at Spurs they conceded just 35, 26, 36 and 39 league goals – so the Blues may be able to frustrate a Liverpool side who won only six of their 19 away games in 2022/23.
Defences May Dominate Early Exchanges
Chelsea boss Pochettino will be wary of Liverpool's attacking talent. In their last four away games of last season, Jurgen Klopp's men beat Leeds 6-1, West Ham 2-1 and Leicester 3-0 before a 4-4 final-day draw at Southampton but a more cagey contest is expected on Sunday.
The Blues' attacking plans have been disrupted by the knee injury suffered by France forward Christopher Nkunku in pre-season so the hosts may take a cautious approach in their opening game.
Liverpool failed to score in the first half of ten of their 19 away matches in the 2022/23 Premier League while ten of Chelsea's 19 home games were 0-0 at half-time and that looks a good bet in their season opener.
Blues Midfielder To Be Booked
Chelsea's Conor Gallagher picked up ten yellow cards in last season's Premier League and he should be in the thick of the action against Liverpool's talented midfield on Sunday.
The tough-tackling Gallagher was sent off in last August's home game against Leicester and was also booked against AC Milan and RB Salzburg in the Champions League and in the 4-0 FA Cup defeat to Manchester City.
He will be deployed to break up the Reds' rhythm on Sunday so he looks a likely candidate to pick up the first card of the game.
The England international was booked seven times in the league at Stamford Bridge last term and is unlikely to hold back in his first home appearance of Chelsea's new era.
CONOR GALLAGHER FIRST PLAYER TO BE BOOKED
