Chelsea vs Liverpool LIVE: Premier League result and reaction as points are shared at Stamford Bridge

Chelsea have earned four Premier League wins and 20 points in 2023, fewer than any other side ever-present in the top flight in this time.

Can Mauricio Pochettino turn around their fortunes?

Jurgen Klopp’s team lost eight Premier League away matches last season, as many as in their previous three campaigns combined. Can they kick off this campaign with a win?

Chelsea are winless in eight home matches in all competitions (four draws, four defeats) since beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Champions League on 7 March.

The Blues have won their opening Premier League game on 20 occasions, a joint record.

There is a special place in sporting history reserved for those who bring the most iconic moments to life. The voices in the living rooms or through the radio to the masses listening or watching have their place, but commentators, just like teams can divide opinion.

Ahead of the start of the Premier League, Sky Sports will have a new head voice after Martin Tyler, who had covered the league since its inception in 1992, left the broadcaster, with Peter Drury his replacement.

It will be a change both the style and approach, and while it remains to be seen how it will be received by those paying eye-watering sums to the broadcaster to watch Premier League matches, it is the start of a new era.

The last time Chelsea hosted Liverpool in the opening round of a top-flight season was in 1937. The Blues won 6-1, with George Mills scoring a hat-trick.

It would be surprising if today’s clash saw a similar scoreline but it’s never out of the question.

Mauricio Pochettino names three Chelsea debutants for this match. Defender Alex Disasi, goalkeeper Robert Sanchez and forward Nicolas Jackson all feature in a starting XI that sees Raheem Sterling and Reece James line up for the Blues.

For Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp hands Premier League debuts to Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai while Mo Salah, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz slot into the forward line.

Chelsea XI: Sanchez; Disasi, Thiago Silva, Colwill; James, Fernandez, Gallagher, Chukwuemeka, Chilwell; Sterling, Jackson

Liverpool XI: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Gakpo; Salah, Jota, Diaz

Jurgen Klopp found himself disagreeing with Jurgen Klopp and Jurgen Klopp accepted Jurgen Klopp had been wrong.

Or, to put it another way, the Liverpool manager has changed his mind. In 2016, he had said he would not spend £100million on a player – “The day this is football, I’m not in a job anymore” – and in 2023 Brighton accepted Liverpool’s nine-figure bid for Moises Caicedo.

If Klopp has changed, so have circumstances: Seven years ago, he was discussing Manchester United’s world-record purchase of Paul Pogba. Now Liverpool have made a British record offer for Caicedo.

“Everything changed,” Klopp said. “Do I like it? No. Did I realise I was wrong? Yes, definitely.” ‘Everything changed’ might serve as a summary of Liverpool’s summer, except that the revolution remains in progress.

Liverpool have a new captain, a new vice-captain and a new midfield, even if there is no guarantee Caicedo will be a part of it: It remains very possible the 21-year-old will join Chelsea and probable he would prefer to.

It is also feasible that Liverpool’s summer-long pursuit of Romeo Lavia will instead bring the Belgian to Anfield, though they feel a £50m asking price is steep for a teenager whose lone season of first-team football culminated in relegation.

Each of the last six league and cup meetings between Chelsea and Liverpool have been drawn, including the two domestic cup finals in 2022, both subsequently won by the Merseysiders on penalties.

The four most recent encounters have finished 0-0 - no fixture in competitive English football history has finished goalless five times in a row.

Chelsea were still negotiating with Brighton for Moises Caicedo into the early hours of Saturday morning, but the ongoing delay could yet work in Liverpool’s favour in a multi-layered saga that has also seen both clubs also compete for Southampton’s Romeo Lavia.

Liverpool went higher than Chelsea in Thursday’s effective auction for Caicedo, bidding £110m, which then saw the Stamford Bridge club go to £55m for Lavia.

Chelsea are trying to do both deals, but there is some skepticism whether they can make the two work under Financial Fair Play without significant sales.