Battle at the bridge ends honours even between Chelsea and Liverpool

Mauricio Pochettino said he wanted to make Chelsea fans happy again as he ended his four-year exile from the Premier League and he did not let down the Stamford Bridge crowd.

The Argentine former Tottenham head coach hugged Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp as he marked his comeback with an absorbing draw as both sets of fans showed their approval.

Or was the joy really relief not to start the season with a defeat after last season's disappointments at both clubs?

Chelsea see themselves as annual Premier and Champions League challengers but the wheels came off as they went through three managers and missed out on Europe altogether last season. Liverpool failed to qualify for the Champions League place for the first time in six years.

Whether or not that changes this season remains to be seen. They can produce some exciting football based on this match, but clearly lack qualities too. Both sides are throwing money at the problem and, in Chelsea's case, a new manager in Pochettino but will it be enough?

The former Tottenham manager was informed afterwards by local reporters that last season’s Chelsea would have folded after conceding the 17th minute opening goal to Luis Diaz and not come back through debutant Axel Disasi and nearly win the game.

Pochettino said in response: “It was one of the first things I said to the players when I arrived – we do not talk about the past, think about the past and we never give up. I am so pleased because when some difficult moments appeared, the team was there and then the crowd was fantastic. The fans were fantastic. I know we showed they believe and that was a good point.”

He did not agree, however, with the suggestion that a draw was a fair result.

He contended: “I don't believe it is. I think we deserved a little bit more overall. We feel pleased, but at the same time disappointed because we wanted to win and we deserved to win, but it is only the beginning.

"We have created a very good way to work here and that is important. It is about belief and about work and to trust each other. The connection from day one has been fantastic.”

Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp was more pragmatic in his assessment of the match. He said: “I'm okay with the point. We had the last chance of the game and that would have been a great moment to finish it off.

"We started the game really well and could have scored twice. There were parts I was really happy with and others not so much. But this was the first game of the season and we know it was a difficult one at Chelsea. We took a step in the right direction.”

His defender turned midfielder Trent Alexander-Arnold was more bullish. He explained how Klopp's players were happy not to be included in many people's title favourites this season and said: “That suits us.

"We have proven over the years we can do it (challenge for the league). We have brought in a player who has won the World Cup (Mac Allister) and a player who won trophies in Germany (Szoboszlai). Our aim is to win the league. We won't be shy about that."

Liverpool took a deserved early lead through Diaz and so nearly doubled their lead before Disasi hit back for Chelsea, who also missed chances to go on and win the match.

Mohammed Salah had already cracked a shot against the cross bar before he created Liverpool's 17th minute opener. Impressive debutant Alexis Mac Allister sprung Salah wide on the right and the Egyptian bewildered Chelsea first-timer Levi Colwill before pinging in a low pass for Diaz to slid on to and poke past Robert Sanchez.

Chelsea looked disjointed. Perhaps no wonder when noting they had four debutants in goalkeeper Sanchez (€30m from Brighton) forward Nicolas Jackson (€38m from Villarreal) and Disasi (€45m from Monaco). Fellow defender Colwill, who was on loan at Brighton last season, also started for the first time.

Pochettino, suited and booted for his first match in charge and greeted by warm cheers from the home support, selected a bench that featured only three players from last season's first team squad.

They could have been down and out when Salah added a second only to have it ruled out by a narrow, lengthy VAR offside decision. Instead, they showed the character to stay in the game and Disasi equalised from close range after the Liverpool defence struggled to clear a cross from the right and Ben Chilwell headed the ball into the path of his new French team-mate.

Chilwell then had the ball in the back of the net a minute later too but again VAR intervened.

Chelsea: Sanchez 6; Disasi 7, Thiago Silva 6, Colwill 7; James 6, Chukwuemeka 6 (Maatsen 81), Enzo 6, Gallagher 7, Chilwell 7 (Ugochukwu 90); Sterling 6 (Mudryk 81), Jackson 5.

Liverpool: Alisson 7; Alexander-Arnold 6, Konate 6, van Dijk 7, Robertson 6; Mac Allister 7, Szoboszlai 7; Salah 7 (Elliott 77), Gakpo 6 (Jones 66), Diaz 7 (Doak 77); Jota 6 (Nunez 66).

Referee: Anthony Taylor 6.

Attendance: 40,096.