Petr Cech left ruing late Liverpool goal against Chelsea

Luis Suarez scored a header late into injury time

Luis Suarez scores his late equaliser in Liverpool's 2-2 draw with Chelsea (GETTY IMAGES)

Goalkeeper Petr Cech knows Chelsea need to be more ruthless when closing out games if their claims for a top-four finish are not to be damaged further.

Liverpool striker Luis Suarez scored an equaliser in the seventh minute of added time in a controversial and dramatic 2-2 draw at Anfield marred by the Uruguay international's bite on Branislav Ivanovic.

Two dropped points meant Chelsea were unable to regain third place from Arsenal, although they still have a game in hand, and are only a point ahead of fifth-placed Tottenham, who have played the same number of games.

"Those three points were very important for us to finish the league third, even more since both Arsenal and Tottenham won, yet we could only get one," Cech wrote on his personal blog.

"Playing in Anfield is always very tough and a game there is very intense. Like yesterday, for instance.

"When the match was about to expire, and those minutes of added time were over, we dropped two points.

"It's the most painful way to concede a goal, with no time left to react. The match finished right after that goal.

"Being so close and not winning is really disappointing after more than 96 minutes of good work by the team - and I say 'more' because Liverpool's second goal came in those extra seconds."

Chelsea midfielder Juan Mata added on chelseafc.com: "The game should have been finished.

"Something important should have happened for it to be six minutes (of added time) but it didn't."

Interim manager Rafael Benitez remains confident the club will retain their Champions League status, which was only secured last season by virtue of them winning the competition, after they finished sixth in the league.

"We can do it because we have a good team and we can win against any team," Mata added.

Meanwhile, Cech insists Chelsea are under no greater pressure having failed to win at Anfield than they have been in recent weeks as they continue to balance domestic and Europa League commitments.

"We are under pressure in every game, so you need to find the time to relax. We try to do so, step by step," he told chelseafc.com.

"We had a disappointing end to this game but we have a massive game on Thursday (against Basle) so we need to forget about this one and concentrate on the next.

"This (against Liverpool) is a difficult game to come and play and you have to say the point is better than nothing but we are disappointed because we could have had three.

"Just one point is better than nothing, but in added time when you are defending a lead it's disappointing we couldn't see the game out.

"It's unusual to have six minutes. I have been a Chelsea player since 2004 and I have never had six minutes in my favour when I was losing.

"You look at this and say 'Why does this happen when I play away?' This is the referee's choice. But we conceded in the last second and we have to do better next time."

The goalkeeper stressed the players would not allow the result to undermine them, especially with an important European tie next up.

"We are in a position where we fight for everything," Cech added.

"We have a lot of pressure playing in the Europa League because we obviously want to win it.

"Every league game we are in the fight for the top four places and it's very tight there."

PA