Chelsea were unlucky to draw with a Huddersfield team that "played a bad game" with a defensive mindset and time-wasting tactics, according to defender Marcos Alonso.

Huddersfield took the lead in the 50th minute with their first attack when Laurent Depoitre beat Willy Caballero to Aaron Mooy's floated pass, having nullified Chelsea in the first half with a deep and compact defensive line.

Alonso levelled the score just after the hour mark when Zanka's attempted clearance struck him in the face and went in, but despite laying siege to the Huddersfield penalty area for much of the second half and striking the post with Andreas Christensen's header, Chelsea could not find a winner.

Speaking afterward, the Spain international criticised the visitors' tactics and attempts to slow the game, which he feels were enabled by referee Lee Mason.

"We're very disappointed," he told Chelsea's website. "We were so unlucky, we dominated the game and conceded a silly goal and then we couldn't score [a second goal].

"They played a bad game, trying to waste time from the first minute and I think the referee stopped it very late. Their goalkeeper was taking a minute over his goal kicks from the first minute of the game and he only received a yellow card with five minutes to go.

"I don't think that's the right way, he should have stopped that before, but still we conceded the goal and failed to score from our chances. Today they defended with a lot of players, they were coming from playing against Man City and not conceding a goal so it's not easy when they defend with six, seven or eight men in the box.

"We tried for the whole game and we were unlucky to concede the goal because I felt we were going to score sooner or later."

The result means Chelsea must beat Newcastle at St James' Park on Sunday and hope Brighton defeat Liverpool at Anfield in order to qualify for the Champions League, but Alonso insisted that he and his teammates owe it to the club's supporters not to give up on the season.

"We have a game against Newcastle we have to go and win, and then we will see what happens with Liverpool," he added. "Then we have another week to focus on the FA Cup final and try to get a trophy for the fans."