Kuyt, deep position on the left, rolled the ball aimlessly to Boyce who instantly fired a cross to the far post where Rodallega poked home.

It was the first time the Reds had conceded in the opening 45 minutes of a league match for 11 games.

Bramble was then booked for clattering into the back of Torres, who headed over Rodriguez’s cross from six yards just before half-time.

Within 42 seconds of the second half kicking-off Mascherano had to be quick to block Rodallega’s shot.

At the other end Torres, unusually for him, failed to hit the target from Rodriguez’s cut-back.

Ten minutes into the half Johnson replaced Lucas, with Mascherano returning to his favoured central midfield.

Liverpool almost gifted Wigan a second as Jose Reina came out to claim a through-ball only for Carragher to knock it past him and then smashed his clearance into Moreno.

The ball looped towards the goal only for Kyrgiakos to get back to head over his own crossbar.

However, Liverpool were not getting any better and Torres’ ambitious 25-yard volley summed things up when it went out for a throw close to the right corner flag.

Wigan should have had a second in the 73rd minute when Rodallega’s pass put N’Zogbia through but his shot was partially stopped by Reina and Johnson scrambled the ball out at the far post under pressure from Scharner.

Moments later Torres’ volley from Kuyt’s header down rolled agonisingly wide of the post.

Liverpool’s frustrations boiled over as first the Spain international was booked after chasing Boyce half the length of the pitch to bring him down and then Gerrard was then cautioned for diving in on McCarthy, despite appearing to win the ball.

A sign of Liverpool’s desperation could been seen in the five minutes of injury time when Kyrgiakos went to play up front.

It typified a night when the Reds’ short-comings this season were laid bare by an industrious but by no means brilliant Wigan side.