For the first time in what feels like an eon, Chelsea turned in an impressive performance in their last outing as they drew 1-1 at home to Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.

The effect of Mauricio Pochettino’s coaching style was on full display, as the Blues pressed Liverpool hard and gave them little time to breathe when they were on the ball.

It was an enormous improvement and a breath of fresh air for Chelsea fans who suffered through the trials and tribulations of the 2022/23 Premier League campaign. Nevertheless, there was one player in particular who stood out above the rest.

Newly-signed Axel Disasi was immense for the Blues on Sunday afternoon. Not only was he arguably their best defender (Reece James was also excellent), he made a contribution going forwards, as he scored Chelsea’s only goal of the game.

How did Disasi perform for Chelsea against Liverpool?

Playing on the right-hand side of Chelsea’s back three, Disasi was given the unenviable task of keeping both Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez at bay.

While he could not prevent Diaz from scoring, his efforts limited Nunez to just a handful of chances – his biggest opportunity came at the end of the game, only for him to spurn it.

Disasi was at his best when bringing the ball out of the defence, which he did so excellently. He displayed conviction and confidence as he carried the ball forward – he also played a number of excellent passes from deep positions.

Chelsea lacked a technically-gifted ball-playing centre-back last season and it affected their ability to link play between sections of the pitch. Now, with Disasi and academy graduate Levi Colwill, they have two players who can fulfil this role to a very high standard.

Will Axel Disasi be a key player for Chelsea this season?

If Sunday’s performance was any indication on how the rest of the season will pan out, Disasi has to be one of the first names on the team sheet moving forwards.

If you take him out of the lineup, the Blues will find it much more difficult to build from the back. With Pochettino’s style of play, this is a necessity – therefore, expect to see much more of the French international in a Chelsea shirt this season.