HALF-TERM REPORT: Liverpool looking good - so far

The Spaniard's league hoodoo against champions Manchester United was ended in September, Chelsea's formidable unbeaten home record shattered the following month and that Liverpool left the Emirates a fortnight ago disappointed with a 1-1 draw says everything about the heightened expectations of this campaign.

And all this largely without last season's leading scorer Fernando Torres, the Spanish striker's troublesome hamstrings ruling him out for more than half of the league schedule thus far.

So much for Liverpool being a one-man team. But the return of a fully-fit Torres can only improve Benitez's side and could prove the key to a sustained title challenge.

Certainly, the Anfield outfit are now showing the consistency required to stay the distance.

Liverpool lost only three league games throughout the whole of 2008 to register their highest points total for a calendar year since 1989.

Indeed, two of those defeats - at West Ham United in January and at Tottenham Hotspur in November - came from last-minute goals while the other loss, in March at Manchester United, wasn't helped by the first-half sending-off of Javier Mascherano.

Benitez's side have clearly become a tough nut to crack but it's cracking the obdurate defences that roll up at Anfield in the hope of holding out for a point that may ultimately undermine their title chances.

Stoke City, West Ham and Fulham have already headed home with a goalless draw while Hull City had the temerity to go 2-0 up before a Steven Gerrard-inspired fightback earned a share of the spoils.

The fact Liverpool nevertheless find themselves clear at the top after 20 games - the 45-point total their best at this stage of a season in 18 years - illustrates a uniquely tight Premier League.

While Chelsea are presently the nearest rivals, the main threat is likely to come from, as ever, Manchester United.

Sir Alex Ferguson's men can close within a point by winning their games in hand - at home to Wigan Athletic and Fulham - and will also host Chelsea, Arsenal, Aston Villa and Liverpool in the second half of the season.

The trip to Old Trafford in March appears the key fixture for a Liverpool team renowned as such strong finishers to a campaign under Benitez.

Gerrard's reaction to his arrest and subsequent charge earlier this week may also be a pivotal moment in Liverpool's championship challenge.

It came just hours after the skipper, in a rich vein of form, had produced one of his greatest performances, scoring twice and assisting two other goals in the 5-1 romp at Newcastle United.

Gerrard is regarded throughout the game as a model professional and is not one to court any off-field controversy, despite the ever-constant dangers that come from being such a high-profile figure.

If anything, Gerrard will be embarrassed by the furore the incident has created. An introverted figure, the danger is he could retreat into his shell. Liverpool, however, will hope his undoubted determination to keep his head down and get on with his game will work in their favour.

After all, a siege mentality has proven a key element of many a Manchester United title triumph in the past 15 years. And there are people within the club already irked by the nagging suspicion their efforts this season are not getting the credit they deserve.

Take the Carling Cup exit at Tottenham, when a 4-2 defeat for a largely second-string outfit raised questions about the strength in depth of Benitez's squad.

But in recent weeks, players such as Yossi Benayoun, Lucas Leiva and breakthrough teenager Emiliano Insua have assumed significant roles, while the evergreen Sami Hyypia is still going strong.

That said, the jury remains out on most of Benitez's major summer signings. While Albert Riera has added much-needed balance to the left of midfield, left-back Andrea Dossena has suffered a nightmare first six months at Anfield and Philipp Degen has done little to disprove his injury-prone reputation.

The Robbie Keane debate is one that will not go away despite the £20million signing from Tottenham rediscovering his goalscoring touch in the past fortnight.

While Keane's commitment can't be faulted, the 4-2-3-1 formation favoured by Benitez and tailored for the needs of Torres does not fit those of the Irishman; it's telling Keane's most profitable performances have come as part of a two-pronged strikeforce.

But with Benitez still keen on Emile Heskey in this month's transfer window, the competition for places in attack will be even fiercer, the versatile Dirk Kuyt demonstrating his worth with some important goals and typically hard-working performances.

Elsewhere, Xabi Alonso, close to being sold in the summer, has assumed an integral role in midfield while Pepe Reina is perhaps the best goalkeeper in the top-flight this season.

Besides Torres, both Martin Skrtel and Fabio Aurelio will return to bolster Benitez's hand, while the likes of Daniel Agger and Mascherano are yet to produce their expected form.

The value of appointing Sammy Lee as assistant has been underlined with Benitez away from the bench as he recovers from an operation on his kidney stones.

Qualification to the knockout stages of the Champions League was assured at a canter to set up a mouthwatering clash with Real Madrid.

But it's the Premier League trophy that the supporters really want to see lifted above Gerrard's head in May. And in that respect it's a case of so far, so good for Liverpool.

Head boy

WITH Liverpool in pursuit of Gareth Barry in the summer, Xabi Alonso came close to leaving but has instead cemented his position in central midfield and is consistently producing the best football of his Anfield career.

Must do better

RYAN BABEL has been one of several players to see less action with Rafael Benitez reluctant to overly fiddle with a winning combination, but the Dutchman has to start making the most of his first-team opportunities or face being moved on in the summer.