Limp Liverpool leave questions unanswered

TITLE contenders traditionally announce their intentions with a swagger and a strut — a ‘look-at-me’ attitude which engenders respect and fear in equal measure in their opponents.

Somebody clearly forgot to tell Liverpool. Rafael Benitez’s side have rarely looked comfortable Premier League leaders, especially on home soil, and their limp has become so pronounced in recent weeks that now only an incredible optimist would back them to win the title.

Performances like this have been too regular to be explained away as one-offs and it is a genuine trait of this Liverpool team that they find it harder than Chelsea, Manchester United or Arsenal to break teams down.