The thousand club, it transpired, was not a reference to the number of players Chelsea have signed in the Todd Boehly era. But as Jurgen Klopp brought up 1,000 games in management, and Mykhailo Mudryk became Chelsea’s latest debutant, it was with an illustration of how two of the dominant forces of recent years are struggling.
Whether in decline or transition, Liverpool and Chelsea kicked off in ninth and 10th, both ended up nine points off the top four and having played a game more. Recent winners of the Champions League are becoming ever less likely to qualify for next season’s competition.
