Ian Kington/AFP/Getty ImagesChelsea's failure to finish vs. Liverpool might prove costly in the long term. Fernando Torres in particular was subdued.

Few things are more frustrating for a supporter than to see your team dominate a match but fail to emerge with the win. For 70 minutes of Chelsea's 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Sunday, the Blues were dominant. The visitors were completely stifled as an attacking force while the hosts dictated proceedings, conjuring up chance after chance in front of goal.

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Unfortunately, only one of those chances was converted, and that profligacy was to come back and haunt Roberto Di Matteo as an unmarked Luis Suarez nodded home a barely deserved equaliser. This time, there can be no recriminations directed toward the officials or any other foreign agent. Instead, the blame has to lie squarely at the feet of those on the pitch.

By failing to take advantage of having your opponent on the ropes and ripe for the knockout, there is always the danger that a sucker punch will redress the balance, and that is exactly what happened.

Such are the fine margins contained within a match -- not to mention the fickleness of supporters, the author included -- that until the moment of the equaliser, the common consensus was that Fernando Torres was having one of his better days for Chelsea. The reality that the three points did not come Chelsea's way after being unable to capitalize on a wealth of scoring opportunities, however, refocuses the spotlight on the troubled Spaniard.

His work rate was excellent -- no doubt buoyed by a burning desire to reply to the taunts of the away fans -- but for all his endeavour, he never really looked he would get on the score sheet. Yes, he did draw two decent, if routine, saves from Brad Jones, but just like the rest of his Chelsea career, he was never able to draw the crowd onto the edge of its seats when the ball fell in his direction.

With three playmakers flitting behind him, Torres' job surely has to be trained upon being decisive inside and on the fringes of the penalty area. Yet that is not what he currently brings to the team. It feels unfair to direct too much criticism his way, as he clearly wants to succeed, so perhaps he is instead paying the price for a lack of options on the squad.

With the number of goal-laden matches in which Chelsea have been involved this season, it seems counterintuitive to point out the team lacks a cutting edge, but that was brought to bear Sunday. With Daniel Sturridge condemned to making the briefest of cameos and no other recognised strikers on the club's books, the whole weight of responsibility in this department has been laid squarely on Torres' shoulders.

With the game stretched in the last quarter and creative ideas at a premium, the situation was crying out for a more direct approach -- something for which Romelu Lukaku (on loan to West Brom) would have suited down to the ground. While still raw and far from being the finished article, the idea that he was deemed surplus to requirement this season is looking more and more naive as the season progresses.

If you contrast Chelsea's paltry striking options with those at Manchester City (Carlos Tevez, Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, Mario Balotelli) and Manchester United (Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Javier Hernandez, Danny Welbeck), the example barely merits comparison. If Chelsea want to win the Premier League this season, that scenario has to be addressed.

Yet the worst culprits came from the vaunted trio of Juan Mata, Eden Hazard and Oscar. All played with their usual swagger, but each should have scored in the first half alone. Had just one done so, the points would have been safely tucked away. Unfortunately, the misses seemed to prey on their mind, and as the game progressed in the second half, the trident became a little too preoccupied with their intricate passing.

Generally that is not a bad failing to have, but there have to be times and places when such patterns are to be executed. Sometimes you just need to have a shot at goal and hope for the best, however uncouth that may seem.

Two points from three Premier League games is far from a crisis. However, there are clear lessons to be learned, some that can be dealt with now and others that will have to wait until January. None are revelatory, yet one prays that they are heeded.

Follow Phil Lythell on Twitter @PhilLythell

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