Liverpool 1, Wigan 1 - is the title dream now over?

Jan 2 2008

THE last time Steve Bruce brought a side to Anfield, Fernando Torres was infamously left kicking his heels on the bench for the most part as Liverpool laboured to a goalless draw.

But even with the club record signing on from the start and continuing his goalscoring form, Rafael Benitez could not lay his Bruce bogey to rest last night.

The former Manchester United defender denied the Spaniard five times in Premier League combat while in charge of Birmingham City .

And, having moved to Wigan Athletic, Bruce has clearly taken the hoodoo with him to the JJB Stadium.

Bruce was still in charge at Birmingham for the Midlanders’ visit to Anfield in September, when Torres was contentiously restricted to a half-hour cameo in the second half of a frustrating stalemate.

The Spaniard, though, has subsequently become a must-pick with his goalscoring exploits and opened the scoring last night with a well-worked strike on 49 minutes.

It moved Torres on to 16 goals for the season, 11 of which have come in his 12 appearances at Anfield.

But it wasn’t enough as an under-par Liverpool pressed the self-destruct button to leave Anfield jeering at the final whistle.

Titus Bramble is something of a comic figure among seasoned football observers. But nobody in red was laughing when the Wigan centre-back capitalised on some poor Liverpool defending 10 minutes from time to thump the equaliser.

What fading hopes Liverpool had of challenging for the championship have surely been extinguished by this damaging draw, which followed a similarly unsettling outcome at Manchester City on Sunday.

Benitez’s side are now 12 points behind leaders Arsenal. And, with City winning at Newcastle United last night, Liverpool find themselves outside the top four once again this morning.

And given the funereal manner in which the home supporters slunk out of the ground long before the end, the Anfield fans appear to have accepted the fact.

History had pointed to a home success. Liverpool had won all seven previous games against Wigan , with the Latics having not even scored in this fixture since 1989.

There was a strong Merseyside presence in the Wigan squad. Former Liverpool players Emile Heskey and Chris Kirkland - the latter on his first return to Anfield since leaving the club - were joined by ex-Everton men Kevin Kilbane and Marcus Bent, with one-time Tranmere Rovers midfielder Jason Koumas on the bench.

Benitez made two changes from the goalless draw at Eastlands. Xabi Alonso stepped into midfield for his first home start since limping off against Arsenal in October, but the real surprise was the return of Jermaine Pennant after 10 weeks out with a stress fracture of the shin.

The pair’s availability allowed Benitez to employ a three-striker formation that has previously met with mixed fortunes, working to perfection at Newcastle United but a dismal failure at Reading last month.

And the jury was still out after an encounter in which Liverpool enjoyed the greater possession without ever convincing.

Their first chance came in the 12th minute, Mario Melchiot clearing off the line after Harry Kewell flicked on Fabio Aurelio’s near-post corner from the left.

Fernando Torres had the ball in the net a minute later, but had already been correctly flagged offside as he raced on to Kewell’s throughball. However, the striker had greater reason to be unhappy when penalised for fouling Paul Scharner before teeing up a shot.

The Spaniard twice turned provider midway through the half as Liverpool began to work Kirkland .

Breaking free of his holding midfield role, Mascherano progressed, exchanged passes with Torres on the edge of the box and side-footed a shot the Wigan goalkeeper grabbed at the second attempt.

An astute pass from Torres then gave an unmarked Gerrard a sight of goal inside the penalty area, but the skipper couldn’t gain enough purchase on his volley and shot weakly at Kirkland .

There were ambitious shouts for a penalty when Torres bounced off Scharner later in the half, before the striker headed Alonso’s free-kick narrowly over the bar.

Bruce’s sides have sought to frustrate and niggle at Anfield in previous visits, and last night was no different.

As the disquiet among the home crowd intensified, Wigan grew in confidence, although their only genuine threat before the interval came when Liverpool failed to clear their lines properly and Michael Brown thrashed a 25-yard shot that swerved wide of Pepe Reina’s right-hand post.

However, Liverpool went ahead four minutes after the restart with a goal of true quality out of keeping with the rest of the game.

Steve Finnan fed Torres, who played it wide to Gerrard. Finnan, racing into box, screamed for a return pass from his skipper before squaring for Torres, who had also continued his run forward, to sidefoot past Kirkland.

Liverpool almost doubled their advantage on 61 minutes when a blistering 25-yard Gerrard free-kick was too hot for Kirkland and, with the ball bouncing goalward, Bramble cleared as Mascherano raced in to pounce.

Scharner then nicked the ball of the toes of Torres as the striker shaped to shoot after bamboozling Bramble, and Gerrard drew a save from Kirkland at his near post.

Kewell struck a shot over as Liverpool went for the kill, only for Wigan to equalise with a goal out of nothing on 80 minutes.

A deep free-kick by Antonio Valencia should have been dealt with by the home defence. But, after Gerrard made a weak attempt to clear, the ball fell on the edge of the area for, of all people, Bramble to shoot out of Reina’s reach.

Kirkland made a double save to deny Gerrard as Liverpool desperately sought a winner. But the Bruce bogey goes on for Benitez.

MAN OF THE MATCH. Fernando Torres. Unlike too many of his team-mates, was always a threat and deserved his goal