The Blues’ opening home game of the season against Liverpool at Portman Road remains 0-0 at half-time with Town having acquitted themselves well in their first Premier League game for 22 years.

Town were without their first-choice keeper on the opening day for the second year running, with new signing Aro Muric absent having picked up a knock.

Christian Walton came into the league XI for the first time since the 2-2 draw at Fleetwood on the final day of 2022/23 in League One having made a brief sub appearance on the last day last season. Cieran Slicker was on the bench.

Otherwise, the team was fairly predictable with Axel Tuanzebe on the right of the defence, Leif Davis on the left and new signing Jacob Greaves partnering Luke Woolfenden in the centre.

In midfield, skipper Sam Morsy started alongside Massimo Luongo with the three ahead of them, from the right, Wes Burns, Conor Chaplin and Omari Hutchinson. Liam Delap was up front.

New signings Kalvin Phillips, Sammie Szmodics, Ben Johnson and Conor Townsend were all on the bench, along with Ali Al-Hamadi, Marcus Harness, Jack Taylor and Cameron Burgess.

For Liverpool, with manager Arne Slot taking charge for the first time, Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold were among the starters but Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo were on the bench.

With Napoli midfielder Jens Cajuste, who is closing in on a loan move to the Blues having undergone a medical yesterday, watching from the directors’ box with his family and sponsor and now shareholder Ed Sheeran in his executive box, Town defended an early Liverpool attack but then showed their threat, Hutchinson picking up a loose pass and hitting a shot which was blocked on the edge of the box.

On four, with Portman Road making plenty of noise on a very hot afternoon, Delap sent Burns away on the right, his pass losing some of its momentum as Andy Robertson got a toe to it, before the two collided and the Wales international ended up on the turf. As Town protested, referee Tim Robinson showed no interest and Burns got on the ball and a cross eventually flew beyond Davis at the other post.

Two minutes later, Woolfenden was shown the game’s first yellow card for hauling back Diogo Jota five yards outside the area.

Town were more than holding their own and were at times were dictating the play, while the Reds were a threat when breaking but with Salah yet to be found in behind despite a number of attempts. Debutant Greaves had already made a number important interceptions, blocks and towering headers.

On 13, Delap deftly took down a long pass forward but saw the ball taken away from him as he took the ball inside a defender to his right. Soon after, Hutchinson was harshly booked for a sliding challenge on Ryan Gravenberch.

Town were trying to play their way out from the back in the manner they have in League One and the Championship but without always managing to work their way through the Liverpool press.

On 20, Greaves rose highest to nod Morsy’s free-kick from the right goalwards but too close to Liverpool number one Alisson.

Three minutes later, Delap was felled when turning away from his man on the left, the Town crowd calling for a yellow card with referee Robinson having appeared more lenient with the visitors than with Town.

As if to illustrate the point, Burns was booked for an innocuous late challenge on Alexis Mac Allister moments later, the Argentinian appearing to make an awful lot out of very little.

Just after the half-hour mark, Chaplin did well to win a loose ball on the edge of the box following a Liverpool corner and Delap sent Hutchinson away. The Liverpool defence got back but Hutchinson cut inside and hit a low shot which Alisson saved down to his left.

There was a scare for the Blues in the 37th minute when Woolfenden intercepted a through ball as Liverpool counter-attacked but underhit his backpass to Walton. Fortunately, the keeper was off his line quickly and dived at Luis Diaz’s feet and claimed, taking a kick to the head for his trouble.

Town were next to threaten in the 41st minute. Davis took a quick free-kick in to Chaplin on the left of the box and the ex-Portsmouth man fed Hutchinson wide. The former loanee crossed and Tuanzebe looped a header onto the roof of the net but with Alisson never looking troubled.

A minute later, Delap brilliantly took down a long pass on the left touchline and with the same touch took himself beyond Jarell Quansah before being crowded out in the box but winning Town’s first corner.

As the game moved towards the end of the scheduled first 45 minutes, Liverpool for the first time had the ball for a sustained period around the Town box but Alexander-Arnold’s strike flew well over.

After a minute of time added on, referee Robinson’s whistle was greeted by warm applause from the Town support, delighted with the manner in which their side had acquitted themselves in their first 45 minutes of Premier League football for 22 years.

The Blues, with their last top flight scorer Darren Bent watching while on media duty, had never looked overawed or daunted by their more illustrious opponents and had prevented them from creating anything significant during the first period with Greaves’s header the most notable chance for either side. Liverpool had been prevented from managing a shot on target.

If Town can maintain their performance, then they could be looking at claiming their first Premier League point - or perhaps points - of the season.

Town: Walton, Tuanzebe, Woolfenden, Greaves, Davis, Morsy (c), Luongo, Burns, Chaplin, Hutchinson, Delap. Subs: Slicker, Burgess, Townsend, Johnson, Phillips, Taylor, Szmodics, Harness, Al-Hamadi.

Liverpool: Alisson, Van Dijk, Diaz, Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Salah, Jota, Robertson, Gravenberch, Alexander-Arnold, Quansah. Subs: Kelleher, Endo, Konate, Nunez, Jones, Gakpo, Elliott, Tsimikas, Bradley. Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex). VAR official: Stuart Attwell (Warwickshire).

Photo: Matchday Images

WizardNinja added 13:30 - Aug 17 Unbelievable half from the lads ! Shame the ref been quick on the yellows . Greaves is an absolute machine at the back. Would love to see what szmodics gonna do in this team :) . Another half like that boys
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