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2023/24 English Premier League
Matchday 1
Chelsea v Liverpool
Stamford Bridge
London, England
Sunday, 13 August 2023
Kick-off is at 15h30
Two teams in dire need of an improvement will go head to head on the opening weekend of the new
Premier League season when Chelsea welcome Liverpool to Stamford Bridge on Sunday, August 13.
The Blues finished outside the top 10 last term for the first time since 1995-96 as they went through three managers under the new ownership of BlueCo.
Thomas Tuchel paid the price for a poor start to the 2022-23 campaign when he was sacked in September, with his replacement Graham Potter lasting just seven months before being shown the door and Frank Lampard's return didn't have the desired effect.
The West Londoners continued the trend of turning to former Tottenham managers as they appointed Mauricio Pochettino in July and the Argentine has been handed a tough first assignment against the Reds.
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Jurgen Klopp's side didn't fare much better by their high standards, particularly after coming so close to winning the title the previous season as they finished only a point behind Manchester City.
The Merseyside giants struggled for consistency, although they would eventually embark on an 11-game unbeaten run to finish four points outside the UEFA Champions League places in fifth spot.
Klopp has some rejigging to do after losing Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to the Saudi Pro League, while James Milner, Roberto Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain also departed Anfield during the summer transfer window.
Chelsea will be pinning their early-season hopes on Nicolas Jackson as fellow new signing Christopher Nkunku will be unavailable for a lengthy spell after undergoing knee surgery on August 8. Senegal striker Jackson impressed for Villarreal last term, scoring 12 goals in 26 La Liga appearances before the Blues forked out £32million to acquire his signature.
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Diogo Jota will be looking to put last-season's disappointment behind him after missing much of the opening six months with hamstring and calf injuries. The Portugal international had played an integral role in the Reds' 2021-22 title challenge and he featured heavily during pre-season, scoring four goals in five friendlies.
Pochettino admits the rebuilding process will take some time, but insists the signs are positive and aims to take the fight to Liverpool.
"We are in a good way; we are building something special I think," the Argentine said. "It's a process and we need time, but in football you cannot ask for time. You need to deliver from now.
"We know we are Chelsea and even if young players are involved against Liverpool, the mentality is to win. We are preparing ourselves and we know it will be tough the first game, and then the next game and the next game. But we need to arrive with a good mentality."
Head-to-Head (Last Five Premier League Meetings)
Matches - 5
Chelsea - 1
Liverpool - 0
Draws - 4
Matchday 1 fixtures:
Friday, August 11
19h00: Burnley v Manchester City
Saturday, August 12
11h30: Arsenal v Nottingham Forest
14h00: Bournemouth v West Ham United
14h00: Brighton & Hove Albion v Luton Town
14h00: Everton v Fulham
14h00: Sheffield United v Crystal Palace
16h30: Newcastle United v Aston Villa
Sunday, August 13
13h00: Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur
15h30: Chelsea v Liverpool
Monday, August 14
19h00: Manchester United v Wolverhampton Wanderers
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