Supposedly on a high after the six-nil rout over Derby County, Liverpool travelled down South to Fratton Park to further test their title challenge. Talk of serious announcement as genuine title contenders was rife in the press and Rafa Benitez seemed to have used this carrot to motivate his players. It seemed that Rafa Benitez had to use the press mostly to get his message across his troops as being an international week, Rafa was left with a sparse Melwood.

Fratton Park and Portsmouth aren’t the most glamorous of species in the Premiership but nevertheless they have been an integral part of the Premiership for the last few years and offer another type of challenge to high-flying teams.

At the end of the ninety minutes, the announcement by Liverpool was rather mute and got postponed. It seems that for this week talk about Liverpool will be overshadowed by Wenger’s men as after losing their main star Thierry Henry, they have got on with life and definitely still look as good as any of the other title challengers.

Rafael Benitez has also omitted his two biggest stars on the bench, and changed five players from a side that scored six past Derby County only a fortnight ago. Rafael wanted fresh legs and hunger over experience and flamboyance. The fresh and hungry lads held the upper hand in the first twenty minutes or so and worked the opposing keeper and old boy David James a couple of times. Portsmouth looked to squander their possession as a drunker sailor and like a wise barman Liverpool made the most of it till the edge of their penalty area.

As the first half grew on though, Liverpool seemed to fizzle and were faced with a familiar very dubious penalty decision against them. A high flying side, scoring eleven goals in five matches, conceding three penalties in fiver matches, with none awarded defies logic, but it seems common sense is not so common nowadays. Or else we are going through a phase of challenging Isaac Newton’s theories.

Pepe Reina was more than up for the task set up by Mr Riley, and defied Kanu’s shot from the penalty spot. In a scoreless draw which could have gone either way, the Spaniard made himself look big and his job easy. He is yet to be beaten from open play so far, and yesterday he commanded his area admirably and was my man of the match.

The two main stars Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres entered the pitch midway of the second half and their class could have stole it for the reds but the latter was high and wide after a sublime pass by the former. Afterwards, Andriy Voronin who has before hit the crossbar after trying to lob David James, was a second late to Nando’s cross after El Nino brilliantly created space for himself.

Still, Liverpool can’t feel hard done by. Whilst the loud announcement has not been made, this day qualifies as a decent work’s day. In the meantime, and with Porto away only next Tuesday, Liverpool will continue their work in their preferred quiet way.