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Liverpool logo
Premier League
Apr 21, 2013 at 4pm UK
 
Chelsea logo

2-2

Suárez (90'), Sturridge (52')
FT(HT: 0-1)
Oscar (26'), Hazard (57' pen.)

On this day: Liverpool striker Luis Suarez embroiled in biting controversy

Sports Mole looks back at Liverpool's 2-2 draw against Chelsea on this day two years ago, which was overshadowed by a moment of Luis Suarez madness.

While the Premier League has built up a reputation as being one of the finest divisions in world football since its inception in 1992, it is arguably the controversial moments which have truly propelled it onto the global stage.

Think Eric Cantona's kung-fu kick on a supporter at Selhurst Park; Paulo Di Canio pushing a referee to the ground; Roy Keane dishing out revenge with a horror-challenge on Alf-Inge Haaland; and Sir Alex Ferguson taking out his frustration on David Beckham via an alleged boot to the face.

All these moments live long in the memory, more so than the results which preceded them. That was no different on this day two years ago, when one of the most controversial characters of them all, Liverpool striker Luis Suarez, took it upon himself to bite an opposition player on the field of play.

Liverpool's Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez clashes with Chelsea's Serbian defender Branislav Ivanovic after appearing to bite the Chelsea player during the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Chelsea at the Anfield stadium in Liverp© Getty Images

The man on the receiving end of the bite to the arm was Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic, who admitted afterwards to being 'shocked and surprised' at the incident.

Seemingly frustrated by an earlier error in the game, in which he handled Juan Mata's cross into the box to concede a penalty, the Uruguayan showed real bite to rescue his side, albeit in a literal sense.

Chelsea were heading towards a 2-1 victory at the time when Suarez sunk his teeth into the arm of Ivanovic, stunning not just his Serbian opponent but millions of spectators watching on across the globe.

Incredibly, this was not the first time Suarez had been embroiled in biting controversy, having done something similar during his time at Ajax, with PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal the unlucky party on that occasion.

Of course, it would not be the last time, either. On the biggest stage of them all, in a crucial World Cup group-stage meeting with Italy to essentially decide who would progress through to the knockout stages, the 28-year-old was at it again.

That particular bite on Giorgio Chiellini, which left a visible temporary scar on the Italian defender, saw Suarez handed a hefty ban from all football activity by the authorities, and it also proved to be one step too far for Liverpool who allowed him to join Barcelona last summer.

Giorgio Chiellini of Italy pulls down his shirt after a clash with Luis Suarez of Uruguay (not pictured) as Gaston Ramirez of Uruguay looks on June 24, 2014© Getty Images

The stance taken by the Reds on that occasion was far different to the one they took just 14 months prior, when they were determined to stand by their star asset despite his clear wrongdoing.

"Both the club and player are shocked and disappointed at the severity of today's Independent Regulatory Commission decision," the Merseyside outfit's managing director Ian Ayre said at the time, after Suarez was handed a 10-match suspension.

The player himself issued a personal statement of his own on Twitter, claiming that he was "sad" with regards to the events that unfolded at Anfield, before adding that his behaviour was "inexcusable".

Referee Kevin Friend missed the incident at the time, meaning that the Liverpool forward was able to remain on the field for the remaining time, and he proved to be the difference maker yet again for Brendan Rodgers's side.

A dramatic header from the South American in added time at the end of the game only infuriated Chelsea further, leaving the Blues hanging on to a top-four spot following a 2-2 draw.

For Suarez, on the other hand, this was just another chapter in his growing list of controversies, which will likely mar his career when he eventually hangs up his boots.

Liverpool: Reina; Johnson, Enrique, Agger, Carragher; Lucas, Gerrard; Henderson, Downing, Coutinho; Suarez

Chelsea: Cech; Azpilicueta, Ivanovic, Luiz, Bertrand; Ramires, Mikel; Hazard, Mata, Oscar; Torres

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Uruguay forward Luis Suarez puts his hand to his mouth after clashing with Italy's defender Giorgio Chiellini during a Group D football match on June 24, 2014
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