Liverpool 0, Stoke 0: Good fortune runs out with 'stupid' draw

So while a win against Manchester United meant everything, a week later it means nothing - at least in terms of how realistic their title ambitions are.

As manager Rafael Benitez suggested in that oh-so-prophetic matchday magazine, there's no point celebrating those wins if you can't do the same again the week after.

The breaking of his United hoodoo was supposed to instil confidence, a genuine belief that this season could finally end the 19-year wait for number 19.

But the only number 19 the Liverpool fans were expecting after Saturday's goalless draw was the bus home. And you can't blame them for their despondency after believing, seven days ago, that their side had finally sent out the ultimate message, they then watched them deliver it about as well as Nick Faldo in an opening ceremony - only with many more fluffed lines.

But aside from the many missed chances, the most frustrating thing for Liverpool is that they seemed to have finally found the missing ingredient that has blighted previous Premier League campaigns - an ability to beat the top four sides.

However, champions are also supposed to beat teams in the bottom three. And failing to do so has brought all the old doubts bubbling menacingly to the surface once again.

After all, it's not as if Benitez's side had shown anything like championship-winning form in what is still an unbeaten start to the season.

Failing to play well didn't matter in terms of Sunderland, Middlesbrough, Standard Liege over two legs and Aston Villa because the results were satisfactory.

But it seems the euphoria of the long-awaited Manchester United success has obscured some very unsatisfactory statistics.

Gerrard's double strike in Marseille last week is the only occasion a Liverpool player has scored in the first half of any game so far, while Babel's winner against United is the earliest occasion they have taken the lead in a league game - the 77th minute.

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In short, Liverpool are struggling badly to force the initiative and make things happen, almost as if the shock of going behind - which served them so well in the past week - is the only thing that stirs them into action.

There was never any chance of that happening, however, on Saturday. Stoke's strikers were the first line of defence, with Dave Kitson's early drive their only attempt in the entire game and they didn't even force one of those irritating attacking throw-ins until first half injury time.

Pepe Reina then found a novel way of dealing with the Rory Delap's feared slingshots - coming out and catching it.

All in all however, too many aimless long balls, a distinct lack of imagination and an over-reliance on set pieces - and Stoke weren't much better.

To be fair to Liverpool, they were robbed of the all-important early goal that would have killed their visitors' resistance before the team bus had even finished parallel parking in front of Thomas Sorensen.

It looked like Steven Gerrard's 100th goal for his club but the curling free-kick that eluded everyone and bounced into the corner in the second minute was mystifyingly ruled out for offside.

But that incident, instead of sparking inquisition, should have been an irrelevance.

Although many of the home side's 27 shots on goal were hopelessly off target or repelled by City's forest of Giant Redwood legs, a top team should make sure at least one of them finds the net. That's all it would have taken.

Robbie Keane was perhaps the least guilty in the wayward shooting and wasted chances stakes - at least the two crosses he met first-time forced Sorensen into ensuring his agonising wait to get off the mark rumbles on.

But alongside him, Fernando Torres also seems a little out of sorts. He hinted at much more threat then Keane when he was in possession but, uncharacteristically, the finishing touch - as well as that devastating burst past the last defender - is currently lacking.

As is the momentum all champions pick up. But at least there is still plenty of time left to re-establish it.

What has to be remembered is that Liverpool haven't really been at full strength yet and resting Javier Mascherano on Saturday ensured they weren't again, as a defensive midfielder was hardly high on the list of priorities.

But then his powerhouse performances in the face of some physically frightening figures might have enabled Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso to get beyond them a bit more. As it was, being limited to long-range shots, one of which was even curled narrowly wide by Jamie Carragher, was a damning indictment of Liverpool's lack of creativity. Just like a week earlier, the flanks once again seemed to be the most likely remedy to this problem.

Albert Riera showed some more promising touches while the link-up of Dirk Kuyt and Alvaro Arbeloa on the right always looked to be the outlet that would provide the breakthrough.

At least Benitez can't be accused of being too narrow in his approach this time, although when Riera made way and Kuyt joined Torres up front after Keane was taken off, desperation took over and even the Kop couldn't suck one in.

Quite simply, Saturday marked the time when Liverpool stopped getting away with it and they paid the price with a goalless draw that was so unexpected that Stoke supporters celebrated like it was last May and the promotion parties were starting.

As if to rub it in even more, it was they who were singing 'Ring Of Fire' at the end as the heat of expectation melted their hosts' momentum in a game that was every bit as tough as they predicted.

But moving on and regrouping after this won't be any picnic either.

Stoke were every bit as punishing and physical against Everton the previous weekend and even forced two goals courtesy of Delap's crudely direct approach.

But Liverpool's next league opponents fought fire with fire. Two set-piece goals of their own enabled them to emerge from the battle with three points and they were adapted to Tony Pulis's tactics in a way that many, including those in the top four, will be unable to do throughout this campaign. So while the marker Liverpool put down a week earlier may not have been damaged beyond repair, Everton's confidence won't have been harmed too much by Saturday's events either.