Agencies
Liverpool, May 12: An injury-time Christian Benteke goal earned Liverpool a point against unlucky Chelsea in a hard-working 1-1 draw Wednesday at Anfield.
Eden Hazard’s first half opener was a thrilling finish worthy of winning any contest and it looked like it would be enough until Benteke nodded in Sheyi Ojo’s cross late on as Liverpool’s unbeaten record at home was extended to 13 matches.
The result preserved the 10-point gap between the teams, with Europa League finalists Liverpool eighth and outgoing Premier League champions Chelsea ninth.
It has been a season of change at Anfield, with Jurgen Klopp replacing Brendan Rodgers as manager in October, and more transformations will take place during the close season. Chelsea will also undergo significant change over the coming months, but mainly on the pitch. Long-time captain John Terry is set to leave the club, but he cannot enjoy a public farewell as his red card in Chelsea’s last encounter against Sunderland meant he was suspended for the club’s final two games.
As well as their captain, Chelsea were also without Diego Costa at Anfield, while Liverpool were at virtual full strength as Klopp looked to test his preferred starting XI ahead of their Europa League final against Sevilla, next Wednesday.
This match in years gone by has been one of the most tense and tumultuous in the English game, but although the start was bright, it had little of the fire of old.
Liverpool have clicked in recent weeks and that was shown by their early attacking ambitions as Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino all tested the Chelsea defence.
The best early opportunity fell to Firmino after 19 minutes when Daniel Sturridge’s clever pass put him clean through, but his touch let him down at the crucial moment and he could not steer his effort past Asmir Begovic.
After half an hour, and against the run of play, Hazard scored a simply sublime goal that even many home fans applauded, such was its quality. He glided through three attempted Liverpool tackles before slotting past Simon Mignolet into the bottom-right corner.
Meanwhile Sunderland secured their Premier League survival Wednesday with a 3-0 victory over Everton that condemned bitter local rivals Newcastle United and Norwich City to relegation and sparked wild scenes of celebration at the Stadium of Light.