Enzo Fernández produced a moment of quality to earn Chelsea a 1–1 draw against Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, bringing an end to the visitors’ six-match losing streak in the Premier League and handing caretaker manager Calum MacFarlane his first point in charge.
Liverpool, who continue to chase Champions League qualification, took control early in the contest and were rewarded in the first half through a brilliant strike from Ryan Gravenberch.
The midfielder found space just outside the penalty area before unleashing a powerful effort that left Chelsea’s goalkeeper with no chance.
Chelsea, however, showed more resilience than in recent weeks and gradually grew into the game after going behind.
Their persistence paid off when Fernández stepped up to take a free kick in a dangerous position, curling his effort into the bottom corner as it evaded everyone in the box to bring the visitors level.
The second half became more open as both sides pushed for a winner. Liverpool thought they had restored their lead at different points, but two of their efforts were ruled out for offside, frustrating the home crowd as Chelsea held firm under pressure.
Liverpool also came close through Dominik Szoboszlai and Virgil van Dijk, both of whom struck the woodwork as they ramped up the intensity in search of a decisive goal.
Despite the late pressure, Chelsea managed to stay organised defensively to secure a valuable point away from home.
The result leaves Liverpool in fourth place with 59 points from 36 matches, edging closer to securing Champions League football for next season.
Chelsea remain ninth on 49 points from the same number of games, but will take encouragement from a much-improved performance after a difficult run of results.
