New Chelsea coach Mauricio Pochettino saw the team he rebuilt in the close season fight back to draw 1-1 at home to Liverpool in their English Premier League opener on Sunday as debutant defender Axel Disasi cancelled out Luis Diaz's opener.

In a meeting of two of last season's heavyweight flops, Diaz threatened to ruin Pochettino's first competitive match in charge of the Blues when the Colombian stretched out a boot to turn in a defence-splitting pass by Mohamed Salah in the 18th minute as the visitors attacked with lightening speed.

Liverpool thought they had doubled their lead just over 10 minutes later but Salah was judged to have been offside before he put the ball past goalkeeper Robert Sanchez, one of four debutants in Chelsea's starting lineup.

Chelsea weathered the storm and equalised in the 37th minute when Liverpool failed to clear a corner and France international Disasi — signed this month from AS Monaco — swept the ball in from close range after a looping Ben Chilwell header.

Teething problem

Tottenham Hotspur gave new manager Ange Postecoglou a rollercoaster league debut when they started life after Harry Kane with a 2-2 draw in their opening game at Brentford.

New signing James Maddison, taking on departed captain Kane’s No. 10 shirt, pulled the strings in midfield and provided two assists as Spurs took the lead, fell behind and came back for a point with all the goals in a lively first half.

Cristian Romero headed the visitors in front in the 11th minute with the ball whipped in by Maddison from a free kick.

Postecoglou, who arrived in July as the replacement for Antonio Conte and is the first Australian to manage in the Premier League, took Romero off immediately after the VAR decision despite the player’s obvious reluctance to leave.

The centre back had earlier been caught in a clash of heads and received medical attention.

Bryan Mbeumo equalised 15 minutes later from the penalty spot after Son Heung-Min, taking over from Kane as captain, fouled Mathias Jensen.

The South Korean had an otherwise quiet afternoon and was substituted in the second half while striker Richarlison was even less visible.

The Bees were 2-1 up in the 36th after a Yoane Wissa shot went in off Dutch defender Micky van de Ven, a new arrival from German side Wolfsburg.

Tottenham then made it 2-2 in first-half stoppage time when Emerson Royal lashed in a pass from Maddison.