IF Javier Mascherano wasn’t in the right frame of mind to play in Liverpool’s trip to Eastlands last night, then come full-time the travelling support were certainly not in the mood to watch it.

A chastening evening for Roy Hodgson and his players brutally exposed the challenge they face to regain their place among the Premier League’s elite as they were soundly beaten by Manchester City.

Goals from Gareth Barry, Micah Richards and a Carlos Tevez penalty ensured a deserved victory for Roberto Mancini’s side and inflicted Hodgson’s first competitive defeat since taking over at Anfield.

And Mascherano must take his share of the blame. The midfielder’s insistence on agitating for a move away from Anfield had reached such a crescendo that Hodgson felt he was left no option but to omit the Argentina international.

It’s precisely the kind of distraction the manager can do without as he attempts to stamp his mark on Liverpool and rebuild confidence after the unrelenting disappointments of last season.

But Hodgson must have feared such an outcome was inevitable the longer Inter Milan and Barcelona refused to meet Liverpool’s £25million valuation of the player.

Galling, then, that this was a game Mascherano would have relished, his midfield presence sorely missed against a City team that on this evidence will surely compete for the title.

So continues Liverpool’s poor away form in the Premier League, with only one victory – at doomed Burnley – this calendar year.

While no-one was getting carried away by the encouraging draw with Arsenal on the opening day, so there will be no panic in the wake of this defeat.

But this certainly did not augur well. A trip to Turkey beckons tomorrow for the second leg of their Europa League qualifier against Trabzonspor on Thursday, and with Hodgson insistent the Premier League takes priority, progress to the group stages is by no means a given.

There’s now a world of difference between the rich and famous – City the rich, Liverpool the famous – and this was shown on the teamsheet, with Manchester City’s bench costing only marginally less than Liverpool’s entire 18-man squad.

The Anfield outfit, or indeed hardly any other club, simply cannot compete with that spending power. Requiring a striker, Hodgson is forced to shop around for the best deal while City can spend £25m on Mario Balotelli – and the Italian didn’t even play last night.