Liverpool's faint hopes of retaining their place in the Champions League all but came to an end this afternoon as they failed to beat recently-crowned Premier League champions Chelsea.

The Reds had to become the first team to win at Stamford Bridge in the league this season if they were to keep their top-four hopes alive, but they were forced to settle for a point as the Blues' preserved their unbeaten record.

John Terry headed the hosts in front inside five minutes and it was opposing captain Steven Gerrard who earned Liverpool a draw on his last appearance in West London.

Here, Sports Mole picks apart the match between two teams that have become bitter rivals in the last decade.

Match statistics

CHELSEA
Shots: 8
On target: 3
Possession: 48%
Corners: 6
Fouls: 13

LIVERPOOL
Shots: 15
On target: 4
Possession: 52%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 11

Was the result fair?

It's hard to argue that either side overly deserved all three points today. Chelsea got off to a lightning-quick start, but as the game wore on Liverpool began to edge it and looked more likely to score the game's third goal. The visitors will be gutted that they couldn't win to maintain their Champions League hopes, but they can be pleased with the way they restricted the league's best team.

Chelsea's performance

Jose Mourinho gave his side some days off earlier this week after they clinched the title with victory over Palace last weekend, so an all-guns-blazing performance was always unlikely today in the spring sunshine. However, there was little evidence of a hangover as they started perfectly with Terry's well-directed header in the fifth minute to reignite the party atmosphere of seven days before. It was the Chelsea captain's 39th Premier League goal, making him the all-time top goalscoring defender in the competition's history.

A solid spell of pressure followed, but a second goal didn't arrive and soon Liverpool had the upper hand. They never quite regained that early dominance, but there were positives to take from the match. Ruben Loftus-Cheek made his full debut for the club and impressed in a holding-midfield role, completing all 27 of the passes he attempted in a composed display. Kurt Zouma was also given a start in central defence, but his afternoon came to an early end when he was outpaced by Rickie Lambert and had to be substituted in the first half.

What might annoy Mourinho most about the performance was the lack of chances created, but surely PFA Player of the Year Eden Hazard and the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Willian can be allowed one off-day?

Liverpool's performance

The Reds needed to win and for long periods of the game looked like the better, more threatening team. It could have all gone very wrong if they hadn't steadied the ship after falling behind early, but they held Chelsea at bay as the hosts searched for a second and soon were in the ascendency.

Gerrard's equaliser - his 119th Premier League goal for Liverpool, which makes him the club's all-time second-highest scorer behind Robbie Fowler (128) - came at the perfect time just before the interval and Brendan Rodgers's half-time team talk seemed to do the trick as the visitors picked up where they left off at the start of the second half.

The likes of Adam Lallana, Raheem Sterling and Philippe Coutinho all threatened, but Thibaut Courtois wasn't worked enough as you can see by the on-target shots count above. Having more possession than Chelsea at Stamford Bridge is an impressive feat, but once again the lack of a true goalscorer was highlighted as Lambert struggled against Chelsea's bullish backline.

Sports Mole's man of the match

Cesc Fabregas: No-one really stood out, but Fabregas was the pick of the players. He put in an assured midfield performance and it was his corner that Terry nodded home. Since the start of last season, no-one in Europe's top five leagues has got more assists (31) than the Spaniard. Some will argue that he was lucky to still be on the pitch after a nasty early tackle, but he made the most of his reprieve with a collected display.

Biggest gaffe

The biggest mistake of the game was made by Branislav Ivanovic, who carelessly tugged back Lallana to concede the free kick that led to Liverpool's equaliser.

Referee performance

For the second week in a row, Andre Marriner showed seven yellow cards in a Premier League fixture. The first came after just a minute when Fabregas went in strongly and high on Sterling. Had that challenge been made later in the game, the Spanish midfielder might have seen red, but Marriner let him off.

Some of the others were dubious, but he had few other contentious moments to deal with. Fabregas also appeared to bring down Sterling when on a yellow card, but Marriner didn't blow up and you can see why as the Englishman threw himself to ground far too easily.

What next?

Chelsea: The champions finish their season with a trip to West Bromwich Albion a week on Monday before their title party at home to Sunderland on May 24.

Liverpool: Rodgers's men host Crystal Palace on Saturday evening before ending their season at Stoke City.