‘No way’ - Mark Lawrenson makes Chelsea dressing room claim and pinpoints Liverpool advantage

Mark Lawrenson has predicted that Chelsea will set up 'not to be beaten' against Liverpool in their Premier League 2023-24 season opener.

The Reds will be determined for a positive start at Stamford Bridge having endured an underwhelming 2022-23 and missed out on Champions League qualification.

There has been marked changes to Jurgen Klopp's squad and Liverpool's transfer business is still not complete. Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have arrived for a combined £95 million although Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all departed. Fabio Carvalho has also left on loan for RB Leipzig.

Yet that looks scant compared to the activity at Chelsea. Not only has Mauricio Pochettino took over as head coach after an insipid 12th-place finish in 22-23 but there has been a plethora of incomings and outgoings. The likes of Mason Mount, Kai Havertz, N’Golo Kante, Mateo Kovacic and Cesar Azpilicueta have departed while players including Nicolas Jackson, Axel Disasi and Robert Sanchez have been signed.

Add that to some £600 million on transfers being spent last season during the first year of Tod Boehly's ownership, there has been seismic change in west London.

Lawrenson, speaking to LFCTV after Liverpool's 3-1 pre-season win over SV Darmstadt 98, believes it's going to take a significant period for Pochettino to work out what his best line-up is - and that could be to the Reds' advantage.

The former Liverpool defender and Match of the Day pundit said: “They've got a few out but also got a few players in. It would appear that they are going for two players every position.

“As for naming the team for Chelsea, it's drop the names in the hat, isn't it? With a new manager, how long has he had, four weeks? It's going to be very interesting to see how they line-up as well. They will not know what their best team is. I think that will take ages, maybe even until halfway through the season.

“The other thing is, what language is spoken in the dressing room with all these guys that have come in? It's very difficult, they didn't have room in the changing room for the number of players they've had, they've had a revolving door coming in and out. This may be a really, really good time to play them.

“I think he will set up a team not to be beaten by us because, at the moment, he doesn't know what his best team is. Whatever the result in pre-season, it is just pre-season. There is no way he can know what his best team is. I think they will very much they will be: ‘Do no give anything away against us' which might just help us.”