Liverpool midfielder Steven Gerrard stressed on the genius of Luis Suarez, rather than the Branislav Ivanovic bite, while Rafa Benitez questioned the extra minute of added time, which led to Suarez scoring a late equalizer and denting the Blues' hopes for a top-three place in the English Premier League.
The game was marred by an incident in the second half when Suarez bit into the arm of Branislav Ivanovic. "I'm not aware of the incident," Gerrard told Sky Sports immediately after the game. "If there is clear footage then I'll make a judgement and comment when I've seen it, and I haven't seen it.
"I'd rather talk about his performance in the second half and his performances from day one this season. He's been by far the best player in the league.
"He's just behind Ronaldo and Messi as the best players in the world. I'll talk all day about Suarez as a genius and a player.
"When you're playing against Chelsea in big Premier League games, it's going to get spicy. Other people want to talk about unsavory incidents, but you're going to get nothing out of me."
Suarez later apologized for his actions, with the Liverpool forward also making a personal call to Ivanovic to say he is sorry.
While Suarez might have grabbed all the headlines, the game was supposed to be a great homecoming for Benitez, still revered by the Anfield faithful.
Oscar gave Chelsea the lead in the first half, before the excellent Daniel Sturridge equalized early in the second. However, an Eden Hazard penalty, won via a handball from Suarez, had seemingly given Chelsea all three points on Benitez's return to Anfield, before Suarez popped up in the seventh minute of stoppage time to head home the equalizer.
"I was disappointed with the late goal conceded, especially because I can't understand why there were six minutes and 45 seconds (of stoppage time) -- a very strange decision," Benitez said. "Some games you have six substitutions and they say three or four minutes.
"In this case six minutes, a throw-in for us and the game was over, and still 45 seconds more. It is difficult to explain.
"We have to analyse why we didn't stop the cross and why Liverpool scored, but still in the normal circumstances we would have finished the game having won against a good team.
"They were pushing but we were defending well and had our chances in counter-attack in terms of dangerous situations.
"Sometimes when they try to explain added time they put substitutions as 30 seconds, sometimes they say 40 seconds, sometimes one minute -- but every single game you have three or four minutes added, five minutes if it is a lengthy incident -- but six minutes 45 seconds?"
Benitez said he had not seen the Suarez incident, insisting he was only concerned about the extra minute added in stoppage time. "I didn't see the incident so I am disappointed with the late goal," he added. "A lot of people are telling me this and that but I didn't see. For me the headline would be why six minutes and 45 seconds, that is the only one I have to understand."
