Mykhailo Mudryk’s time at Chelsea hasn’t exactly gone to plan since making the move in January.
There have been some signs of improvement in recent weeks, but he remains unable to justify the reported £88.5m fee that the Blues splashed out for his signature many months ago.
His first goal for the club in a pre-season clash against Brighton & Hove Albion would have left those at Stamford Bridge hopeful that this can finally be Mudryk’s time to shine.
As things turn out, however, the Ukraine international may need a bit more time to find his goal scoring touch, after missing a glorious opportunity to score the winning goal against Liverpool in Chelsea’s Premier League opener.
Mudryk won’t want to look back at this one anytime soon.
Mykhailo Mudryk costs Chelsea
As you can see from the highlights just past the two-minute mark, Nicolas Jackson did incredibly well to send Mudryk through one-on-one with Alisson Becker, before watching on as the winger lost all composure.
You can also see the reply via Reddit below.
Attempting to round Alisson, Mudryk’s touch was just too heavy, handing him an impossible angle to find the back of the net. Finding Ian Maatsen with the pass instead, the fellow substitute was quickly closed down to end one of the chances of the game late on.
Mauricio Pochettino will be left disappointed with the result, having seen his new side dominate for almost the entirety of the second half following a difficult start to the game initially.
The Argentine will, however, be grateful for the point after Liverpool took the lead in the 18th minute through Luis Diaz’s strike, courtesy of Mohamed Salah’s superb pass.
It was then the turn of unlikely hero Axel Disasi to score on his debut, scrambling home just eight minutes before half-time.
Earning a point apiece, Chelsea and Liverpool showed that they’ll both be interesting to watch this season.
What’s the latest Chelsea transfer news?
Of course, the game between Chelsea and Liverpool had some added flavour thanks to the Moises Caicedo tug of war taking place off the pitch. Unlike the action at Stamford Bridge, it is a battle that cannot end in a draw.
With that said, it is Chelsea who have reportedly came out on top to land the Brighton midfielder for a British transfer record fee, according to Fabrizio Romano.
The Reds did have an agreement with Brighton, but suffered the heartbreak of rejection from Caicedo, who opted for a move to the London club instead.
If that wasn’t frustrating enough for Liverpool, too, Chelsea are now also favourites to land Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, according to Sacha Tavolieri, likely leaving Jurgen Klopp back at square one when it comes to defensive midfielders.
Read The Latest Chelsea Transfer News HERE…
Off the pitch, it’s fair to say that Chelsea have wiped the floor with Liverpool.
With Caicedo likely coming in, and potentially Lavia too, Pochettino will have a completed squad at Stamford Bridge, making a finish inside the Premier League’s top four the bare minimum this season.
Mudryk will hope to play a big part in that, but for now, he remains the subject of criticism among some fans. Here’s how some reacted to his miss: