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Danny Drinkwater of Chelsea is foiled by Simon Mignolet.
Danny Drinkwater of Chelsea is foiled by Simon Mignolet. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images
Danny Drinkwater of Chelsea is foiled by Simon Mignolet. Photograph: Darren Walsh/Chelsea FC via Getty Images

Antonio Conte: ’We dominated the game – Liverpool were lucky to draw’

This article is more than 6 years old

Chelsea manager says his side were unfortunate not to win at Anfield
Jürgen Klopp admits he can ‘live with a point’ against the champions

Chelsea may have been indebted to an intended cross for a point at Anfield but Antonio Conte claimed Liverpool were lucky to share the spoils with his Premier League champions.

The Chelsea manager thought his team dominated at Anfield, created the better chances and were unfortunate to concede Mohamed Salah’s 10th league goal of the campaign before Willian levelled in the 85th minute. Jürgen Klopp admitted they made the game difficult for Liverpool and he “could live with a point against Chelsea”, although he was not happy with the referee, Michael Oliver, and the manner of the late equaliser.

Conte, who made five changes to the team who beat Qarabag in the Champions League on Wednesday, said: “I think we played in a really good way. We had a good tactical plan and it was difficult for Liverpool to make chances to score. It was a tactical decision, especially in the first half, to be very solid and then to try to be dangerous in possession. The game changed in the second half. We dominated the game and created many chances to score. Liverpool was lucky to score and then to draw.”

Willian equalised with what appeared to be an attempted cross that sailed over the stranded Simon Mignolet in the Liverpool goal. A laughing Conte said: “I must be honest, I didn’t speak with the players about it but it’s not important, only important to score. We conceded the first goal in an unlucky way. I think it was a fair result but maybe in the end we deserved more.”

Klopp claimed Oliver prevented him making a substitution, with the aim of playing five at the back, moments before Chelsea’s equaliser. “We wanted to change the situation and a player,” he said. “We would have gone five at the back and in my mind [Ragnar] Klavan would have been exactly in the position where Willian was when he crossed. But we couldn’t change the system. I have no idea why the referee said no.”

The Liverpool manager also played down a heated exchange after the final whistle with Sadio Mané, an 89th-minute substitute at Anfield.

Klopp said: “I was shouting at him because he was in the centre. No player is happy about that. It’s not a big thing. We could have done it in the dressing room and it would have been the same thing. Everything was sorted immediately and that’s it.”

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