Chelsea, under the new guidance of Mauricio Pochettino, showcased resilience with a captivating 1-1 comeback against Liverpool at Stamford Bridge in their Premier League curtain-raiser. Liverpool's Luis Diaz seemed set on upstaging Pochettino's debut, with a swift goal off Mohamed Salah’s decisive setup in the 18th minute. However, Chelsea's debutant Axel Disasi levelled the scoreline, capitalising on Liverpool’s corner clearance mishap, courtesy of Ben Chilwell's preparatory header.
While Chelsea commanded possession after the break, a late deflected effort from substitute Darwin Nunez nearly saw Liverpool take all three points. Both teams displayed tactical prowess, hinting at a gripping Premier League season ahead.
In North London, Tottenham Hotspur, under Ange Postecoglou, commenced their post-Harry Kane era with a pulsating 2-2 draw against Brentford. James Maddison, stepping into Kane's iconic number 10 jersey, orchestrated Spurs' play, crafting two crucial assists. The encounter’s drama-packed first half at Brentford vs Tottenham was accentuated by an 11-minute injury time after a lengthy VAR review on Cristian Romero's opener.
Maddison’s set-piece precision found Romero, who later suffered a concerning injury after a collision during his goal celebration.
Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo swiftly levelled the score from the penalty spot, before a fortunate deflection off Micky van de Ven pushed Brentford ahead. Yet, Spurs fought back with Emerson Royal netting the equaliser, thanks to another Maddison assist.
The match underscored Tottenham’s fighting spirit amidst challenges, like Romero’s injury and life without Kane. As for Chelsea vs Liverpool at Stamford Bridge, Pochettino’s reign began with an assertion of tenacity against Klopp's Reds, with standouts such as Disasi and Chilwell, marking what promises to be a thrilling Premier League campaign.
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