Chelsea FC draw 1-1 with Liverpool: five talking points

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MAY 11: Eden Hazard of Chelsea celebrates scoring the opening goal with team mates during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on May 11, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - MAY 11: Eden Hazard of Chelsea celebrates scoring the opening goal with team mates during the Barclays Premier League match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on May 11, 2016 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Getty Images) /
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Chelsea’s Belgian midfielder Eden Hazard vies with Liverpool’s English midfielder James Milner during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on May 11, 2016. / AFP / Paul ELLIS / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)
Chelsea’s Belgian midfielder Eden Hazard vies with Liverpool’s English midfielder James Milner during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on May 11, 2016. / AFP / Paul ELLIS / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images) /

3. Hazard opens the scoring

With Pedro and Willian taking up positions on the wings, Eden Hazard had the opportunity to show his effectiveness in the central attacking midfielder role. The Belgian fit in nicely, being the focal point of the Chelsea attack, and showing flashes of his form he held throughout most of last season.

He opened the scoring by getting into a pocket of space wide, but quickly cutting back inside. With the Liverpool defense and midfield mostly transitioning back to defense, there weren’t many options for a pass. So, logically, Hazard just continued to run at the heart of the Liverpool defense. Nobody was able to make a clean challenge and Hazard was able to beat Simon Mignolet with a cool finish.

As we often see at all levels of football, one side wasn’t able to grab a goal after a spell of dominance, and their opponents made them pay at the other end.

Next: 4. Begovic struggles