Mauricio Pochettino will have been hoping for an easier reintroduction to the Premier League than a game against a Liverpool side with a point to prove, but Chelsea begin their own rebuild with a tough home assignment on Sunday.
It has been a summer of change at Stamford Bridge, with long-serving players such as Mason Mount, Mateo Kovacic, Kai Havertz and Cesar Azpilicueta among the many players out of the door and over £200 million spent again in the transfer market.
Both sides will be hoping for significant improvements on last season with Chelsea finishing in the bottom half and Liverpool outside of the top four, and Jurgen Klopp’s side have also seen a lot of change - most noticeably captain Jordan Henderson heading to Saudi Arabia.
The game will be part of Gameweek 397 on Sorare Football, and 101 Great Goals has broken down the key statistical takeaways ahead of the game.
Chelsea vs Liverpool Sorare tips
Chelsea
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Levi Colwill
Having signed a new contract at Chelsea, Colwill’s future looks secure under new manager Mauricio Pochettino and there have already been indications that he is set to start the season in the starting XI following an impressive campaign at Brighton. Pochettino is renowned for favouring young players and Colwill fits the bill perfectly for another project for the former Spurs manager. Over the course of the season, Colwill could be someone to put his name in contention for an international call up with some strong performances in a Chelsea side expected to improve this season. An opener with Liverpool on Sunday is worthy of caution, but beyond that the young centre-back looks set for a breakthrough campaign.
Nicolas Jackson
The role as Chelsea’s striker is somewhat cursed, with Joao Felix, Romelu Lukaku, Timo Werner and Kai Havertz just some of the recent flops, but Jackson is something of a break from tradition for the Blues. Jackson is just 22 so has a lot to prove this season following his move from Villarreal, but finished last season with 10 goals in 11 games and is another who should benefit from Pochettino’s preference to have players with desire and a lot to prove. The reports have been good in pre-season and with Christopher Nkunku out injured, he is likely to be given a shot at leading the line for the first few weeks of the season. The Liverpool game is likely to be a baptism of fire but expect him to cause problems for centre-backs up and down the country.
Ian Maatsen
Having done the rounds on the loan market in recent years and taking in spells at Burnley, Coventry and Charlton, Maatsen is looking to establish himself in Chelsea’s first team squad this season under Mauricio Pochettino. Primarily a left-back who has played a little further forward at times in pre-season, Maatsen has impressed in the early stages under Pochettino and could be one to keep an eye on this season. Other than Ben Chilwell, the Blues struggled at left back last season and Maatsen could plug that hole as a squad player this season, but it is not out of the question that he could seek another loan but this time at a Premier League club which means he could be a bargain worth considering at this early stage.
Liverpool
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Luis Diaz
Diaz feels like something of a forgotten man at Liverpool this season, after an injury-ravaged campaign forced him to sit on the sidelines for much of 2022-23. However he has shown his ability in the 18 months he has spent at Anfield and is entering the prime of his career, and with a full pre-season under his belt looks raring to go this season. He has shown glimpses of his special ability in friendlies and fans will be desperate for him to hit the ground running and form a deadly partnership up front with Mo Salah - just as Sadio Mane did in his time in red. It could be the year Diaz really establishes himself as one of the top attacking talents in the league.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Alexander-Arnold is well known as one of the best talent around, mostly known for his attacking output from full-back in Jurgen Klopp’s side. However towards the end of last season we saw a change in how he was utilized, and if the small sample of him playing in central midfield is anything to go by, he could go from strength to strength and become an even more important Sorare asset. His role in the middle could be heavily impacted by Fabinho and Jordan Henderson departing - he could become a more critical part of the central midfield or could struggle without their protection and experience - but one thing is for sure, and that is that his attacking output and threat is unlikely to decrease.
Dominik Szoboszlai
The new arrival from RB Salzburg has a big reputation to live up to, and big shoes to fill having almost immediately found himself undroppable given the state of the Reds squad. He poses a goalscoring threat from the centre, having hit double figures for goals and assists last season and will need to hit the ground running if Liverpool are going to have a successful campaign. He has shown that he has the ability to do it in the past, but it’s not always been a straightforward transition into a Klopp side - in midfield in particular. However if he does get going, he could fly.
Chelsea vs Liverpool Sorare data
Sorare data plays a huge role in picking a team and developing it week on week. You can use the data from Sorare, including the stat packs below, to help determine your selection and get the players most involved each game.