Calum McFarlane Believes Chelsea Deserved More Than a Draw in Anfield Stalemate Against Liverpool

Chelsea’s interim manager Calum McFarlane has declared that his side deserved all three points from their 9 May 2026 Premier League clash at Anfield, despite being forced to settle for a draw against Liverpool.

The result ended a six-game losing streak for Chelsea, who showed considerable resilience after conceding the opening goal. Ryan Gravenberch broke the deadlock with a superb strike, but Chelsea refused to capitulate and found an equaliser before half-time through Enzo Fernández, who converted a free-kick in the 35th minute to level proceedings.

The Blues continued to carry a threat after the interval, creating several dangerous opportunities against Liverpool’s backline. Their hopes of completing a memorable comeback appeared to have been realised when Cole Palmer netted what would have been a winning goal, only for the effort to be disallowed following a VAR review that determined the Chelsea forward was in an offside position.

“It was a really good performance,” McFarlane said in his post-match assessment. “The game could have gone either way, but if I’m being a little biased, I think we could have won it.”

The interim boss also pointed to a series of near-misses and disputed decisions that he believes cost his side the win. In addition to the disallowed Palmer goal, McFarlane identified a penalty incident that officials chose not to act upon as another turning point in the contest, citing chances created by both Fernández and Marc Cucurella as further evidence that Chelsea merited more from the game.

“There were some really close moments, another marginal offside, and what I believed was a clear penalty,” he added. “It’s a difficult job for officials, but I thought we did enough to win.”

The draw at Anfield carries notable significance for a Chelsea squad that had endured six consecutive defeats heading into the fixture. While the point represents a halt to that damaging run, the manner of the performance — particularly the disallowed goal and the penalty controversy — will likely sharpen the debate around the officiating decisions that shaped the outcome.

McFarlane, who has been serving in a caretaker capacity, will be aware that results and performances of this nature carry weight when decisions about the club’s permanent managerial appointment are eventually made. Chelsea’s ability to compete at one of the Premier League’s more demanding venues will be viewed as a positive sign, even if the final scoreline did not fully reflect their efforts on the day.

The result leaves Chelsea’s season-end positioning dependent on remaining fixtures, while Liverpool’s title or top-four ambitions — depending on their standing at this stage of the campaign — will be assessed in the context of dropped points at home.