Slaven Bilic: West Brom players deserved three points

And Albion’s head coach also beamoned VAR after Kai Havertz appeared to handle the ball in the build-up to Tammy Abraham’s 93rd minute equaliser.

In a pulsating clash at The Hawthorns, A Callum Robinson brace and Kyle Bartley strike had the Baggies 3-0 up at half-time.

Chelsea threw the kitchen sink at Albion following the re-start with goals from Mason Mount and Callum Hudson-Odoi making the score 3-2.

Albion defended superbly all evening, though, with Frank Lampard’s side then appearing to get a huge slice of luck in the build-up to their dramatic equaliser.

“First of all it was a great game,” Bilic said.

“We played the way we wanted - we played at our maximum. We played the way I asked the boys to play.

“Plan A in these kind of games when you are playing teams like Chelsea, plan A can’t be that you’re going to outclass them.

“You have to outrun them, be focused and determined, have the right mentality and awareness.

“Your concentration - don’t give them anything, and make them make mistakes and punish them. That was exactly what we did in the first 45 minutes.

“At 3-0, we knew the second half was going to be hard for us.

“We counted that when we had the ball we were going to stretch them more because they lost their shape because they had to score many goals.

“Our only mistake was their second goal - too easy, one two. Strike from their player. Third goal is very hard to accept.”

It looked as though Darnell Furlong was fouled in the build-up to Chelsea’s second goal.

But it was their third - and the handball by Havertz - that really angered Bilic.

Second goal, yes - okay, for me that’s a foul - he (Furlong) has been pulled by their player,” Bilic continued.

“That’s a foul for me, but okay - the referee didn’t give it and they score the second one.

“The third goal is very difficult to accept.

“For me, it’s so clear I don’t even want to talk about it. It’s obvious - it’s not maybe, or possibly, it’s handball.

“End of story, full stop. How can someone say it’s not handball?”

Overall, though Bilic was proud of his players.

“They deserved to win,” he added.

“I am very proud of them.

“They have done everything - this is it at the moment, this is what we have playing against such a great side.

“There were mistakes of course, every goal is stoppable.

“But the only proper mistake we did was for their second goal - that one-two and allowing a free-shot in the box.

“The guys did everything. I am very proud of them.

“Our dressing room should be buzzing and it’s not buzzing - it’s a very disappointed one, a very frustrated one because the boys think we did enough to get all three points.”