Mauricio Pochettino makes his competitive debut as Chelsea manager with a home game against Liverpool on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season.
The former Tottenham Hotspur head coach last took charge of an English top-flight match in November 2019, overseeing a 1-1 draw against newly promoted Sheffield United. Incidentally, Pochettino’s most recent Premier League defeat was against Liverpool one month earlier.
Here’s how Chelsea’s latest incumbent may line up for his maiden outing in the home dugout at Stamford Bridge.
GK: Kepa Arrizabalaga – After the surprise arrival of Robert Sanchez, Sunday’s bout will provide the first insight into the hierarchy of Chelsea goalkeepers under Pochettino.
RB: Reece James – The only red card of James’ club career came in a 1-1 draw against Liverpool two years ago.
CB: Thiago Silva – Thomas Tuchel dubbed him the ‘Thiago Button of football’ while he was still Chelsea manager. Four coaches later, Silva is still turning back time.
CB: Levi Colwill – Despite joining Chelsea’s youth academy more than a decade ago, Colwill is poised to make his competitive debut for the senior side this weekend.
LB: Ben Chilwell – Chelsea’s new vice-captain is just as injury-prone as the team’s skipper, James. When both are invariably sidelined as some point this season, surely Silva will wear the armband.
CM: Conor Gallagher – At the ripe old age of 23, Gallagher is Chelsea’s oldest central midfielder.
CM: Enzo Fernandez – Last year, Fernandez admitted: “I’ve always felt comfortable playing near the goal, looking for pockets of space so I can create a chance or shoot.” But he is expected to pull the strings from deeper on the pitch for Chelsea.
AM: Carney Chukwuemeka – The departure of Mason Mount and injury to Christopher Nkunku during pre-season may belatedly afford Chukwuemeka a run in Chelsea’s first team.
RW: Raheem Sterling – Despite leaving Liverpool when she was four years of age, Sterling’s daughter Melody Rose remained a fierce Red. “She’s Liverpool through and through,” Sterling once sighed to the Players’ Tribune. Melody Rose is such a dyed-in-the-wool fan that she would run around the house belting out Mohamed Salah’s chant.
ST: Nicolas Jackson – The star of Chelsea’s pre-season has only ever made 16 starts in one of Europe’s top five leagues across his young career.
LW: Mykhailo Mudryk – It was against Liverpool in January that Mudryk made his Chelsea debut. The fleet-footed winger has struggled to build upon that promising cameo in the subsequent seven months.
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