(Premier League 2023/2024): Highlights Chelsea - Liverpool

Day one of the 2023-24 Premier League season. Fresh anticipation, fresh hope, fresh faces as well. And for Liverpool and Chelsea, fresh captains. Rhys James and Virgil van Dijk wearing the Arbans for the first time competitively as the full-time captains of these two clubs. For Liverpool, there has been an evolution this summer. The change of personnel in midfield mainly, and what they do go into it is hope of better than what they did last season. The same for Chelsea as well, who had a season blighted by injuries, and maybe they would feel bad fortune. But for Liverpool, and for Dominic Soboslai and Alexis McAllister, it's a new-look Liverpool, it's an all-new Liverpool. Well, the two captains meet each other, let's take a check on the two teams. Liverpool with Cody Gakpozen, extra midfielder today, it's a very, very bold attacking line-up, with McAllister once again the holding midfielder, as we saw in pre-season, and Soboslai alongside him as well. Chelsea with seven players ruled out for injuries, including Christopher Nkunku, they have three new signings in, in Sanchez, Di Sassi and Nicholas Jackson. Lovely touch by Alexander-Arnold. Mohamed Salah, Soboslai, that's brilliant, it's really brilliant! And the strike in the end was by Diogo Jota, and Soboslai wanted to go all the way on his own. GARY GILLESPIE Well, he kind of gets forced into this run, there's not a great deal of options, once he's taken on one, he's kind of got to go all the way, and all the way he nearly goes, Jota just takes it off his foot. In fairness, Jota was coming in on his right foot, it was probably the right thing to do, had he made good connection with it. GARY GILLESPIE Oh, Gakpo's done brilliantly well, Cody Gakpo for Liverpool! It's not the best pull-back, but here's Salah! So close, so, so close. GARY GILLESPIE Well, Gakpo originally does exceptionally well, just out-muscles the challenge and then just lets himself down ever so slightly with the pass. I thought he was gonna shoot, to be honest with you, but the pass to Mohamed Salah is not a good one, and everybody really, I think, in the ground is a little bit shocked at the fact that Mohamed Salah's hit it with his right foot from that sort of distance. GARY GILLESPIE Here's James, and Sterling, and James will go for the return, it's a lovely ball, Alisson with a huge hand, just the fingertips to get the ball away as Jackson was closing in. Keeps Liverpool on terms. Alisson's feet are nice and tidy, it's almost like. And here's McAllister, a fizzer, it's a glorious ball for Salah. Off he goes, Salah's pass, oh, stunning, what a goal by Liverpool! That's absolutely brilliant! Scintillating, incisive football, and Liverpool lead at Stamford Bridge. GARY GILLESPIE Well, breathtaking move. That was Liverpool, if not at their best, certainly somewhere near it. Stats at the goalkeeper, a lovely little lay-off by Sobhie Zlai, and what about this for a pass by Lexi McAllister? That's what he gives you in the team, picks out Mohamed Salah, and as he did all pre-season, he turns the goalscorer into the assist man. And what a ball, it's just an invite for Luis Diaz to get on the end of it. Still has a bit to do, and it's a lovely finish. And in general terms, Liverpool probably, with the run they played at the Hyde, probably deserve that. GARY GILLESPIE Alexander-Arnold, he's picked out Mohamed Salah, and Mohamed Salah picks out the goal! Liverpool have done it again, it's just another stunning pass. Alexander-Arnold to Salah, and it's 2-0. Liverpool think they've got a second, but it's gonna be very, very tight. There you go, it's offside, it's just offside. Doesn't look as though it's that far offside, but it isn't gonna count for Mohamed Salah. Beautiful turn. Sterling, Gakpo can't stay with him, and Alexander-Arnold in one of those positions where the ball hits you and you pretty much have to hope it doesn't go in. GARY GILLESPIE I was saving grace from Liverpool's point of view, they've got plenty of bodies back into the defensive area, Sterling just can't find a blue jersey. GARY GILLESPIE Connate's won every header so far. The reset, and the ball in. Chilwell, and it's in for Chelsea. For Axel Di Sassi, the debutant, as the ball was recycled, Liverpool were caught cold from the set-piece, and Chelsea, who have offered very little, are level. GARY GILLESPIE It's one of them, I think you tend to ball-watch here, you don't pick up your men, the header is not a good one, there's no distance on it from Sobhislai. The ball gets recycled by Chelsea into the box, I think it's Chilwell that just puts it back into the danger area, and in fairness he comes alive, Di Sassi, and finishes pretty well for a big centre-back. Sterling, Enzo Fernandes, and Chilwell! What a turnaround, Chelsea have scored twice in two minutes, Ben Chilwell's come from nowhere to round Alisson. GARY GILLESPIE Again, we'll probably have to look at this one, but they think it's a goal, Chelsea players think it's a goal. Liverpool have had a goal chalked off for VAR, now will Ben Chilwell get a goal through VAR? It looks offside, it is offside, and it's not going to count, and Liverpool survive, and that's a big, big let-off. That's Rhys James, oh, Jackson over the top. He'd got away from Konate as well, he can't finish. GARY GILLESPIE It's been their best source down that right-hand side, whether it be Sterling or Rhys James, the combination of the two have caused Liverpool a bit of problems, and that's a big opportunity, should be doing better, really. GILLESPIE That's towards Van Dijk, good leap by him. And it's Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota will keep this alive. Van Dijk could have a go here, you know. Will have a go here, you know! And he's a whisker away from an outstanding goal. GARY GILLESPIE We're right behind that four, the flight of the ball deliberately lets it run through him to get on his right foot, and as soon as he does that you know he's gonna have a pop it goal. And that isn't a bad effort, it just bruises the top of the crossbar. Here comes Luis Diaz for Liverpool, and Diogo Jota waits in the middle as the ball is delivered by Robertson, it's cleared away by Thiago Silva. The right-foot whip, and a... Oh, my word, how's that not gone in? Luis Diaz at the near post thought he'd done everything right, and somehow the ball is deflected away. Liverpool are appealing for a corner, Anthony Taylor is saying they're just gonna have a quick look at this now. Oh. Oh, hello. Well, Darren England is the VAR official at Stockley Park, and they say no. That's nice, Enzo Fernandes, look at the space here for Chilwell! Well, he drove it straight at Alisson, and you have to do better to beat the big fella than that. GARY GILLESPIE He finds himself in a real pocket of space, while Alisson comes to Liverpool's rescue again. First real chance for Liverpool to get the ball in Chelsea's half for quite a considerable amount of time, but they've given it away really carelessly. And here's Jackson, who's trying to go all the way! And he's denied by Alisson, who again makes what was not a straightforward save look easy. GARY GILLESPIE He just is such a big, imposing figure. It's Trent Alexander-Arnold that gets really sloppy there, so casual. And he just keeps going, Jackson, he said at the beginning he's got plenty of pace, and he just fends off Canatti. But as I say, he's just such an imposing figure when he comes out as Alisson Becker. GARY GILLESPIE That's Malagusto, who can't out-muscle Darwin Nunez, who wants to win it for Liverpool! Oh, my word, he's so close to doing so as well, and scoring an incredible winner. GARY GILLESPIE That would be certainly an icing on the cake for Darwin Nunez, he wins the ball exceptionally well, and then he just gets himself going. The shot takes a deflection, I think. GARY GILLESPIE An opportunity from the set-piece, Van Dijk going for Robert Sanchez, that's a really good take, that's exactly what Chelsea needed, and now they themselves want to go off and win it. Canatti is on yellow, so he has to be careful, Mudrick is in on goal, here comes Alisson! Who does enough to force Mudrick wider initially, and then the challenge by Alexis McAllister is vital for Liverpool. And the battle on day one still ends the way that Liverpool and Chelsea games always seem to end, with honours even. There were many great games between Pochettino and Klopp when he was at Tottenham, and today was another one that could have gone either way. It's finished at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea 1-1 Liverpool.