Rodgers brands Gerrard slip 'unfortunate' but admits it cost Liverpool title

Brendan Rodgers insists defeat to Chelsea at Anfield in 2014 cost Liverpool a maiden Premier League title.

Rodgers lost out to Jose Mourinho before watching his side squander a three-goal advantage against Crystal Palace a week later to draw 3-3 and hand Manchester City the prerogative.

City took full advantage of the dropped points and lifted their second Premier League trophy but the former Liverpool manager believes Chelsea 'made the difference'.

"We went into that game on an 11-game winning run," Rodgers said.

"Confidence was high and for 70 minutes of that game, we'd played very well. We just couldn't get the goal. It wasn't a case of chasing it. It was the type of team we were. We were a front foot team. We were aggressive, that was our strength.

"If you look at that season it was the first time in the top flight that Liverpool had scored over 100 goals. So that's what gave us the opportunity.

"It was really unfortunate what happened with Steven [a slip allowed Demba Ba to score the opening goal] just before half-time.

"And then probably as the game went on from 70 minutes onwards we just needed a goal, we could have drawn the game, but of course with that anxiety, the team was very young and we couldn't make the breakthrough.

"The Crystal Palace game was, with all due respect, irrelevant. The Chelsea game made the difference.

"Going into the Palace game, we played well in the first half but I sensed we were trying to chase the goals because now it was all going to be about goal difference. I mentioned at half-time, we win this game, forget about chasing goals, win the game.

"Then very quickly in the second half it went two-nil then three-nil, and you just sensed the momentum of the team was looking to get the goals. We were really comfortable and played well, then the last 10 minutes was crazy.

"But that wasn't the game that cost us, it was the Chelsea game at home."