Suarez pilfers a point at the Bridge

Chelsea 1 Liverpool 1:Luis Suarez scored his eighth goal of the season to salvage a point for Liverpool against Stamford Bridge after Chelsea deservedly went in at the break with a one-goal cushion provided by returning captain John Terry.

Terry's first game back from suspension ended early after Suarez accidentally collided with him on the edge of the Chelsea box in the first half, but his 20th minute header from a Juan Mata corner had been just reward for the homeside, who conceded some possession but looked far more threatening than the visitors.

Chelsea began the second in much the same manner and could have extended their lead, but the momentum shifted when Suso was introduced for Nuri Sahin and the Reds reverted from three at the back to 4-3-3 and began to create openings.

Suso produced the telling ball from a corner in the 73rd minute. It was flicked on at the near-post by Jamie Carragher and headed home at the back-post by Suarez.

Jose Enrique almost nicked a win for the visitors, but Petr Cech saved well from the Spaniard after Suarez found him in space at the left.

“I think first half Chelsea were on top but in the second we came out and great credit to the lads," Carragher told Sky Sports 1. "We probably deserved a draw in the end, the way we battled in the second half.”

The draw prevented Chelsea from climbing back into second place as they recorded their third league game without a win to lie three points behind Manchester United.

The home support may have turned up expecting another Stamford Bridge goal-fest, having witnessed 30 in the previous five games here. But having shipped 14 goals in their last seven matches, Chelsea appeared to adopt a more conservative approach against a Liverpool side who recalled virtually all their available big guns but persevered with their experiment of playing three at the back.

They certainly had plenty of the ball early on, but the Blues’ counter-attacking approach almost paid off in the sixth minute when Joe Allen lost possession to Oscar, who was threaded in by Eden Hazard only to lift the ball over the crossbar.

Liverpool, who had won on their previous three visits to Stamford Bridge, continued to probe but their defence went AWOL from Chelsea’s first corner in the 20th minute.

Terry was allowed to dart untracked to the near post and duly powered home Juan Mata’s delivery.

Another lightning Chelsea break from the lively Hazard saw Fernando Torres’ shot parried by Brad Jones straight to the Belgian, who could not control his volley.