Sturridge Stunner against Former Club Earns Liverpool a Point

Everyone -- especially managers -- knows that no team can operate at 100% efficiency at all times in the course of a season.

Those who win have a way of grinding out results when they're not on their game.

Jürgen Klopp seems to have a way of making that happen more often than not.

Not only did Liverpool keep itself relevant at Stamford Bridge on this day, Klopp made a timely substitution who saw to it personally the Reds would emerge with a 1-1 draw.

 

OK, Daniel Sturridge may not have been that pumped, but dude surely had an adrenaline surge when Klopp summoned him from the substitute's bench in the second half.

Until then, he had to be hoping that his moment wouldn't come and go without getting some sorta run.

 

He watched as Mohamed Salah’s lukewarm chances in the early stages were denied by Kepa.

The Blues, of course, were giving as good as they got.

In the 25th, Mateo Kovačić found Eden Hazard, who sprinted into the box and fired home to the far corner beyond the reach of Alisson Becker.

 

A few minutes later, Salah was the head man on another Reds thrust.

Dude dribbled past Kepa and thought he was home free, but his shot was saved off the line by Antonio Rudiger.

 

Liverpool spent long spells of the second half probing for a soft spot in Chelsea's resistance, making them ripe for piercing counters.

Hazard should have scored on one of them, as he saw himself face to face with Alisson, but the Brazilian madee a brilliant save, denying the Belgian:

 

Time wound down to the point that Chelsea could taste victory.

Klopp could sense that fresh legs were needed. Enter Sturridge in the 86th minute, intent on tormenting his former teammates.

Dude did all of that in the 89th minute, when the 'Pool was throwing everything on goal. First, it was Roberto Firmino, whose low-driven header was saved off the line, and then came Sturridge's turn to step up:

 

That had to feel good on a number of fronts.

This may have been the first time when Liverpool didn't collect all available points, but they kept themselves in the equation long enough for a timely strike to send them home with something.

It could be a factor come next May.