The long-awaited day. The chance for Liverpool to eradicate the malaise that bobbed to the surface last season as the clubs' unity faded, and with it Jurgen Klopp's chance of qualifying for an eighth successive Champions League campaign.
Chelsea were resilient, the passing play quickly drilled in by progressive coach Mauricio Pochettino was apparent; both Premier League behemoths had been left mired in mediocrity after the Anfield side's fifth-placed finish and the Blues' dismal campaign that yielded a 12th-placed conclusion.
The question marks that shot to the surface long before the din of the opening whistle came from the club's transfer battle for Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo, subject to an accepted £111m offer from Liverpool – a British record – before refusing to put pen to paper with the Blues offering a lucrative opportunity to join the fold at Stamford Bridge.
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This transfer narrative was drilled into the match, with both sides' lack of authority and control in the centre easily identifiable as a glaring issue, and the 1-1 draw, Chelsea and Liverpool's eighth in succession (excluding penalties), was probably a fair assessment.
How did Liverpool get on vs Chelsea?
Pochettino's possession-based style was on full show at Stamford Bridge, with Liverpool being restricted to just 35% of the ball, however, Klopp will be emboldened by his outfit's passion and tenacity, making 19 tackles and ten interceptions to Chelsea's 13 and seven.
The first half kicked off with such promise, the fluidity and technicality of Liverpool's team shone brightly ahead of the home side, who struggled to gel in the opening phase of play, and as such Mohamed Salah's exquisite through ball found Luis Diaz, who directed the ball home for a euphoric opening goal.
Diaz, in particular, was an effervescent presence, as he made a darting Sadio-Mane-like run from out to in that resulted in his strike.
However, the Merseyside outfit's presence faded as the match went on, with Axel Disasi scoring on his debut before the break.
The second half was more scrappy and discordant, and while each team pushed for a winner, the deadlock remained and Liverpool and Chelsea took home a point apiece for what feels like an interminable period of draws.
How did Alisson play against Chelsea?
Salah impressed in attack, though did dwindle in the second half before leaving the field of play incensed upon being substituted for 17-year-old Ben Doak before the 80th minute.
Diaz's positioning and movement to precede the opening strike is a reminder of the quality the Reds have been lacking, with the Colombian spending the lion's share of the 2022/23 campaign sidelined through injury.
One imperious, ever-bright shining light was Alisson between the sticks, with the Brazilian goalkeeper's commanding presence and shot-stopping ability proving yet again to be paramount to Liverpool's efforts.
The Athletic's James Pearce claimed the 30-year-old came "to the rescue again" for the Anfield team after recording an impressive Sofascore rating of 7.3, even if he did lose 100% of his physical duels.
That said, the Brazil stalwart made four saves, took 32 touches, and completed 65% of his passes – impressive for a goalkeeper considering the distribution.
There is no doubt that Klopp and Liverpool have much work still to do, with signing a holding midfielder imperative if silverware truly is the goal this term, but with such a rock-solid option between the sticks, Liverpool have a fantastic chance at realising such lofty ambitions.
He has been instrumental since signing from Roma in a £67m deal in 2018, making 232 appearances and winning the whole gamut of silverware under Klopp's wing for Liverpool, and whatever happens over the next few weeks, Liverpool can rest assured knowing their gloved goliath at the back is second to none on the European stage.