RAFAEL BENITEZ concedes it is “strange” that a host of landmark achievements will almost certainly not be enough to win the title for Liverpool.

But the Anfield manager believes it would have been a different story had Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard been in tandem for longer periods of the campaign.

Manchester United will draw level with Liverpool’s record 18 league championships if they take a point from their home game with Arsenal on Saturday.

It’s likely Liverpool’s main objective will be to claim four points from their final two games to at least secure the runners-up spot for only the third time in 18 seasons.

One more win will give them their biggest points haul in a Premier League campaign, while two wins would give them 86 points – a figure that only once before a top-flight team has reached without claiming the title.

The 3-0 win at West Ham United last weekend ensured Liverpool have scored three or more goals in their last six fixtures for the first time in the club’s history.

Liverpool have scored more goals than United, lost fewer games and completed the league double over Sir Alex Ferguson’s outfit.

But none of those statistics are likely to make much difference to United lifting the title for a 10th time since Liverpool last won the crown in 1990.

“It is strange,” said Benitez. “It means United are a strong team and have a good team.

“They have a good squad which is important because when you are talking about the league you are talking about nine months. But you cannot imagine if Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres had been fit all season where we would be now. It has been a good season but we know it could be better.”