Chelsea were held to yet another 0-0 draw by Liverpool on Tuesday in their first match since sacking coach Graham Potter with both sides displaying the same problems that have left them miles off the pace in this season’s Premier League.

The goalless stalemate was the fourth in a row between the two teams — including last season’s FA and League Cup finals both of which Liverpool won on penalties.

Big-spending Chelsea dominated much of the Stamford Bridge encounter against a much-changed Liverpool side, who seemed visibly low on confidence following their chastening 4-1 defeat at Manchester City on Saturday.

Yet Chelsea spurned one opportunity after another, repeating the kind of toothless display that ended up costing Potter his job at Stamford Bridge after only 31 games.

Joao Felix and Mateo Kovacic went close in the opening minutes followed by chances that went untaken by Kai Havertz in another toothless display for the Blues, who have scored only 29 times in 29 league games.

Reece James, restored to his more dangerous role as a marauding right wing-back by Chelsea’s interim head coach Bruno Saltor, and Havertz had the ball in the net either side of halft ime, but both efforts were ruled out.

Chelsea interim manager Bruno Saltor on Tuesday Reuters

Liverpool sought to make Chelsea pay for their profligacy at the end of the first half with their first moments of danger, including a rasping shot by Fabinho that Blues defender Wesley Fofana deflected wide with a glanced header. Felix and Kovacic wasted further chances for Chelsea in the second half.

The draw left Liverpool in eighth place in the league table, seven points behind Tottenham Hotspur in the fourth Champions League qualifying spot having played a game less than Spurs. Chelsea stayed stuck in 11th place.

Chelsea fans were at least able to see N’Golo Kante making his first start for the Blues since suffering a hamstring injury in August. They will hope he can build on his display when Chelsea meet Real Madrid in the Champions League quarter finals next week.

The appearance represented Kante’s third league home game under three different coaches in the same season, having begun the campaign under Thomas Tuchel and played as a substitute on Saturday against Aston Villa in Potter’s swansong.

The French World Cup winner was given a standing ovation when he was substituted in the 69th minute.

Liverpool coach Juergen Klopp, possibly with an eye on Sunday’s visit to Anfield by league leaders Arsenal, left several of his usual starters on the bench including Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

“Both teams played last year in two finals, two of the best 0-0s I ever saw,” Klopp told BBC. “Today (Tuesday) it was two teams low on confidence but really fighting. We’re fine with a point, a lot of good stuff. We showed a lot of fight. We have to keep going.”

Leicester lose again

Aston Villa plunged Leicester City deeper into relegation danger with a 2-1 away win after the home side played the last 20 minutes with 10 men and had a stoppage-time penalty ruled out by VAR.

Substitute Bertrand Traore scored the 87th-minute winner at the King Power Stadium with a curled shot into the top corner moments after he came on against opponents who sacked manager Brendan Rodgers at the weekend.

It was his first league goal since May 2021 and left Leicester two points from safety.

Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall had already added to Leicester’s woes by being sent off in the 70th after collecting a second yellow card of the evening for a late challenge on Ashley Young.

Ollie Watkins had put Unai Emery’s Villa ahead in the 24th minute, the on-form forward sidefooting into the bottom left corner after being fed through by Emiliano Buendia.

A quick VAR check for offside confirmed that the goal, Watkins’s sixth successive away strike and in his 100th Premier League appearance, was good.

Harvey Barnes equalised 11 minutes later, a right-footed shot off the inside of the post, to lift the restless crowd.

Traore, who came on as part of a triple substitution in the 85th minute, appeared to have put the game out of Leicester’s reach but referee Graham Scott raised home hopes again when he awarded a 92nd-minute penalty.

He then overturned the decision, for a potential handball by Watkins, after replays on the pitchside monitor showed the player was first fouled by Patson Daka.