Enzo Fernandez cancelled out Ryan Gravenberch’s strike at a restless Anfield as Liverpool were held by a Chelsea side whose run of six consecutive Premier League defeats came to an end.
The result means Liverpool remain in fourth place, seven points clear of sixth-placed Bournemouth, while Chelsea stay ninth.
A point for Liverpool edged them closer to securing Champions League football for next season, but the Anfield crowd were unimpressed at times, with loud boos heard when head coach Arne Slot took off teenage winger Rio Ngumoha in the second half.
Playmaker Florian Wirtz was absent with a stomach bug as Slot made three changes from the Liverpool side that lost at Manchester United last weekend, with Giorgi Mamardashvili, Milos Kerkez and Ngumoha all coming in.
For Chelsea, interim boss Calum McFarlane made five changes following their defeat at home by Nottingham Forest.
Liverpool started strongly, with Gravenberch finishing in style from the edge of the penalty area after he was teed up by Ngumoha.
After gaining that early lead, Liverpool were guilty of letting Chelsea back into the game. The visitors grew in confidence as the first half went on, with Mamardashvili forced to make a save from Marc Cucurella.
With 10 minutes to go before half-time, the equaliser came when Fernandez’s free-kick evaded everyone and ended up in the back of the net.
