Chelsea vs Liverpool: 3 Blues Mauricio Pochettino must start

2. Ian Maatsen

The fact that there are rumors floating around about others teams pursing the Blues’ Swiss Army knife, Ian Maatsen is a catastrophe. No matter where the Argentine manager played the former Burnley loanee across the pond, he found a way to be influential. Ben Chilwell is the starting left back is a lock, but Maatsen proved he needs to be on the pitch through his play this summer and with the Clarets. En route to the west London side lifting the Premier League Summer Series title, the 21-year-old amassed three goal contributions. He scored the first two goals of the Pochettino era.

Whether it is as a winger, or a No. 10, the quality of the youngster is something that needs to be on the pitch for the Blues this season. Without Nkunku, why not deploy west London’s No. 29 as the conductor in the middle of the park. He built solid chemistry with Jackson during the unbeaten pre-season by Pochettino’s side.

Sure, Carney Chukwuemeka is an option in the midfield to open the Premier League campaign, but Maatsen seems much more ready at this point in his career. The way he holds up the ball in addition to his distribution while having that knowledge of a defender in the back of his mind could unlock the Reds’ defense if given the opportunity.