Moments you may not have spotted during Liverpool’s Premier League clash with Chelsea on Sunday
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp reacts during the Premier League match at Chelsea on August 13 2023 (Image: Robin Jones/Getty Images)
Liverpool began the new Premier League campaign with a hard-earned draw at Chelsea on Sunday.
An early goal from Luis Diaz was cancelled out before half-time by Axel Disasi as the Reds scrapped to a 1-1 stalemate against Mauricio Pochettino’s side.
The result means Jurgen Klopp’s men have extended their unbeaten league run to 12 games after a strong end to last season.
But there was plenty that went unnoticed or under the radar during the 90 minutes at Stamford Bridge.
Klopp agitated
Prowling the touchline, Jurgen Klopp was living every moment of an often end-to-end match. Poor Andy Robertson was the subject of plenty of ire in the second half, with Klopp continuing to make his point to the left-back after the final whistle.
Some generally iffy defending in the second half prompted the Reds boss to race from his technical area and launch a tirade at his faltering defenders.
But the real anger was directed at referee Anthony Taylor a few seconds earlier for a somewhat harsh decision to penalise Dominik Szoboszlai just in front of the dugout. Head in his hands and dropping to his knees, Klopp really couldn’t believe it.
Liverpool on move
This was the ninth time Klopp had made the trip to Stamford Bridge as Liverpool manager (he missed out in January 2022 having contracted coronavirus, don’t forget). But there was something different on his latest visit.
Rather than be positioned in the dug-out to the right of the tunnel, the Reds bench was on the opposite side nearer the away end.
The reason? New Chelsea boss Mauricio Pochettino much prefers heading out the tunnel and sitting on the right, as he did at Tottenham Hotspur. A creature of habit, it appears.
Boehly strides
Away from the action on the field, there was a heavyweight clash in the stands with Liverpool owner John Henry and Chelsea chief Todd Boehly both in attendance.
And the latter was spotted after the game striding purposefully beyond the gathered media hacks in the mixed zone – where post-match interviews take place – and heading down the tunnel towards the dressing rooms.
It prompted one wag to suggest Boehly was simply exploring all corners of Stamford Bridge to find the money to surpass Liverpool’s bid for Moises Caicedo. Financial Fair Play regulations, you say?
Chelsea let down
The new season was barely reached half-an-hour old for their side and Chelsea supporters had exhausted their usual anti-Liverpool chants. Tunes concerning unemployment and Steven Gerrard’s slip more than nine years ago have now become commonplace in the Chelsea songbook.
But it was the sounds from a vocal minority of two chants referring to the Hillsborough and Heysel disasters that sullied an otherwise entertaining afternoon, those involved letting themselves and their club down in a very public manner.
What happens next could be the first real test of the clampdown by authorities on such tragedy chanting. Liverpool and their supporters will surely be watching with interest.