Potter hails ´positive´ point as Mudryk makes Chelsea bow in Liverpool stalemate

Graham Potter said it was a “positive day” despite being denied a win as struggling giants Liverpool and Chelsea played out a 0-0 draw at Anfield.

The Chelsea head coach has seen his team win just two of their last 10 games (D2 L6) but was happy enough with the result, despite it seeing them remain in 10th place in the Premier League.

Kai Havertz was denied a goal in just the third minute after a VAR check found him to be offside in an otherwise fairly eventless game on Saturday.

“I thought the performance was good,” Potter told BT Sport after the stalemate. “I was happy with the team, the energy, what we tried to do. At Anfield, it is always tough. It’s a clean sheet and a point [and] we move forward.

“First half, we were decent, unlucky not to get the goal. It is what it is. They started the second half well, and we adjusted a couple of things and gained control, had a couple of chances. Overall, a positive day, apart from the fact we wanted three points.”

Honours even but plenty to take forward. pic.twitter.com/zMH3I6RXg4

— Chelsea FC (@ChelseaFC) January 21, 2023

At his post-match press conference, Potter was asked about Mykhaylo Mudryk, who made his debut off the bench and went close to scoring a couple of times.

“He’s not played since November. He hasn’t had any game time. It would’ve been a risk. He’ll get better the more he is with us,” the former Brighton and Hove Albion head coach said as he explained why the big-money arrival from Shakhtar Donetsk did not start.

Potter added regarding Mudryk and another new arrival, on-loan Joao Felix, who was suspended following his debut red card at Fulham: “They’re top players. Sometimes people think us coaches turn top players into top players. But Mudryk, Joao, they understand the game. It’s just fine-turning it a bit.”

Chelsea are now without a win in their last six Premier League away games on the road (D3 L3), their longest run in the competition since September to December 2015 (D3 L4).

Mason Mount – who has been linked with a move to Liverpool at the end of the season – was also of the opinion that it was a good point for Chelsea.

“You know this is going to be a tough place to come,” he told BT Sport. “Overall, we controlled a lot of it. We could have taken our chances.

“It has been tough lately, we want to win games. I feel like it is getting better and we worked hard today.

“We’ll definitely take this today. The final passes weren’t there – if it was maybe we would have scored a few in the first half, but as I said, this is a tough place to come.

“They press you and force mistakes, like [they did in] the second half, and I think we came through that.”