Officials, like goalkeepers, tend to stick together, and it was noticeable Saturday’s referee Lee Mason was often generous towards Stoke. Liverpool fans will hope their manager hasn’t unwittingly erected another significant hurdle that must be overcome.

Had Stoke been able to field a decent striker, Benitez could easily have been contemplating an embarrassing defeat.

Capitalising on Pepe Reina’s poor clearance five minutes in the second half, Dave Kitson advanced into the area, went around the Liverpool goalkeeper but shot into the side-netting from a narrowing angle.

And the visiting defence were later undone for the only time by a trademark Rory Delap long throw, an unmarked Kitson headed wastefully over.

Delap, perhaps showing why he is better with the ball in hand than at feet, contrived to hit the crossbar from six yards in the 12th minute with striker Richard Cresswell painfully slow to capitalise on the rebound.

Benitez, by contrast, is well blessed with attacking talent but saw fit to leave more than £40million worth on the bench as Dirk Kuyt reprised the lone forward role he realised to great effect at Newcastle United a fortnight earlier.

But, during an opening quarter in which Liverpool dominated possession, Kuyt glanced an inviting Albert Riera cross wide and then couldn’t find a way past Thomas Sorensen at the Stoke goalkeeper’s near post.

A match-sharp Fernando Torres may well have converted both. But, with Benitez understandably coaxing his compatriot back into action, Torres was almost anonymous during a 30-minute substitute appearance. Robbie Keane? He didn’t even get off the bench.

However, so lifeless was Liverpool’s creative performance that even having all the strikers on the field at the same time would have been no guarantee of a goal.

It served to underline the importance of the absent Xabi Alonso. The Spaniard, who has become a key component this season, dictates the rhythm of Liverpool’s game, and without him the visitors struggled to stretch a resolute Stoke defence.

Lucas Leiva, while below par, was a willing worker in central midfield and at least stuck his foot in, but central midfield partner Javier Mascherano, in front of the watching Argentina coach Diego Maradona, did little to suggest he will return to previous heights any time soon.

Even Steven Gerrard, comically booked for taking a free-kick too quickly, was subdued, although he might contend that, with all around him flailing, it was asking much for him to again carry the team.

But in the closing moments, Gerrard struck the crossbar with an ambitious free-kick and, after Torres had flicked on a diagonal Fabio Aurelio pass, held off the challenge of Ryan Shawcross and put a stretching effort against Sorensen’s right-hand post. That, though, would have been an unmerited reward for Liverpool.

Martin Skrtel, making a first start since suffering his knee injury in October, endured a nervy 45 minutes before improving after the interval, although Liverpool’s stellar performer was once again the evergreen Sami Hyypia, who on his 700th senior appearance, ensured Stoke’s anticipated aerial bombardment came to nothing.

With the derby double header now upon them, maybe this result was a kick up the backside for Liverpool, a reminder they are facing their most testing half of a season in years.

Certainly, if Benitez’s men are going to win the title, they seem intent on doing it the hard way.