It was a spontaneous rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone which was laced with defiance.

After Chelsea had delivered the killer blow deep into stoppage time, the Kop instantly broke into song and drowned out the visitors' celebrations.

The message was clear - Liverpool maybe down but they are not out. Dreams of title glory have been dented but not destroyed.

Of course this was a painful defeat which cut deep. The devastation etched across the faces of players and fans alike as they left Anfield spoke volumes.

From a position of control, Brendan Rodgers ' side are no longer masters of their own destiny.

Yet the reality is that with two matches of the season left they remain on top of the Premier League table.

Yes, there is the gut-wrenching scenario of the Reds winning at Crystal Palace and beating Newcastle and being pipped to the title by Manchester City on goal difference.

But in this emotional roller-coaster of a campaign there could still be another twist in the tale.

City will be expected to see off the challenge of Aston Villa and West Ham at home in the final week of the season but before then they travel to Goodison.

For 90 minutes next Saturday evening every Kopite will be an Evertonian as Liverpool seek a helping hand from their neighbours across Stanley Park.

If Everton take something from that game then the mood in the red half of the city will be transformed ahead of the trip to Selhurst Park next Monday night.

A run of 11 straight league wins which had sent Liverpool five points clear at the summit sparked talk of this title race turning into a procession. Now there is no chance of that. This three-way battle is going down to the wire and the Reds have previous for triumphing in the face of adversity.

From Cardiff to Dortmund to Istanbul to Wembley, Liverpool have rarely won trophies the easy way. Fans have repeatedly been put through the wringer when the stakes have been high and now more anxiety awaits.

Top sports psychiatrist Dr Steve Peters will certainly earn his money over the coming days as Rodgers seeks to ensure there is no hangover following the end of the Reds' 16-game unbeaten run.

All that frustration must be channelled correctly. They need to dust themselves off and go again.

The sight of Chelsea toasting victory in L4 was a bitter pill to swallow, especially considering the manner in which it was achieved. They came for a point and somehow returned to the capital with all three.

Rodgers accused his old mentor Jose Mourinho of "parking two buses" as the Portuguese set out with the sole intention of stifling the Reds.

This was the irresistible force against the immovable object and latter stood firm. Chelsea's lack of ambition was staggering at times as they got 10 men behind the ball but football isn't a beauty contest and their game plan worked to perfection.

Their defensive organisation commanded respect but less so the gamesmanship which blighted the contest throughout.

Referee Martin Atkinson failed in his duty to clamp down on Chelsea's constant time-wasting. Repeatedly, he held up his watch in an attempt to pacify the anger in the stands by indicating he would be adding time on.

But Atkinson spectacularly missed the point. By allowing so many long pauses in play and not brandishing cards, he assisted Chelsea in their mission to stop the Reds from building up any kind of momentum.

Liverpool dominated both possession and territory throughout but rarely looked like making it count. As well as the Londoners defended, Rodgers' side lacked their usual spark in the final third. Moments of real promise came to nothing as passes went astray and crosses were overhit.

How Liverpool missed the energy and mobility of Jordan Henderson, while a fully fit Daniel Sturridge would have helped them pose some more searching questions.

Sturridge replaced Lucas Leiva for the final half hour but still hampered by a hamstring problem he couldn't make an impact against his former club.

For all Mourinho's pre-match bleating about having to field a weakened side and 'playing the kids' his starting XI cost £112million - £7million more than Rodgers' line up. The atmosphere was electric as Anfield did its best to carry Liverpool a step closer to the title on a wave of emotion.

But during a frenetic opening spell the hosts could find no way through. Philippe Coutinho volleyed wide from Luis Suarez's cross before Mamadou Sakho blazed over from six yards.

'Boring, boring, Chelsea' chanted the Kop as the visitors sat deeper and deeper and the hosts' patience was tested.

Deep into first-half stoppage time disaster struck. The ball rolled under Steven Gerrard's boot and in his desperation to retrieve it the skipper slipped. Demba Ba pounced and ran through to slot past Simon Mignolet.

It was a cruel blow to a player who has inspired this Liverpool team on to greater heights since the turn of the year. The Kop responded by putting a collective arm around him as they chanted his name vociferously.
Gerrard strained every sinew in his pursuit of an equaliser but his tireless efforts were in vain.

The problem was that around him there were too many players in red who were off the pace. Coutinho picked a bad day for his standards to slip. Liverpool were too predictable going forward and lacking their usual guile and craft.

Joe Allen's sweetly struck volley forced the first meaningful save out of Mark Schwarzer.

The keeper gathered Gerrard's 25-yarder at the second attempt and then clung on to a header from the captain but pressure wasn't sustained. Rodgers turned to Iago Aspas as he went for broke but the Spanish striker's only contribution was a strong contender for the worst corner in Anfield history.

Suarez fired over late on before Chelsea broke away and Willian tapped in their second.

So much for fortune favouring the brave.

Source: Liverpool Echo