Liverpool did well to take the first leg of the Capital One Cup semi final to a 1-1 draw, though on the balance of play they would believe that they did enough to win the first leg tie.
A penalty goal from Eden Hazard and a brilliant solo run by Raheem Sterling brought the Reds level in the second half.
Chelsea were unchanged from the 5-0 hammering of Swansea except for Mikel Obi and Thibaut Courtois, who came on for Oscar and Petr Cech, which meant Cesc Fabregas was pushed further forward to support Diego Costa but Liverpool started the better and pressed the Blues for the first 15 minutes before Chelsea got a foothold.
Steven Gerrard, taunted throughout his stay on the pitch tested Thibaut Courtois with a rasping effort on 16 minutes but it was the Blues that took the lead in the 18th minute when Hazard was clumsily brought aground in the box by Emre Can, who played as one of the centre backs in Liverpool’s 3-5-2 formation. Chelsea protected their slender lead until the 59th minute when Sterling took a pass in midfield and turned to face John Terry., whom he went past and beat Courtois for the important equaliser.
Gerrard hit the post on 67 minutes and then went of for Adam Lallana in the 70th minute. Lallana then almost won the match for the Reds in the 79th but even before then Courtois made a double save from Jordan Henderson and Sterling.
Chelsea rode their luck and settled for the draw with the second leg billed for Stamford Bridge next week Tuesday.