Inept Liverpool’s hopes of fourth left in the balance

Wigan 1 Liverpool 0. Wigan recorded their first win against Liverpool in ten meetings with a 1-0 victory that denied the Reds the chance to stake their claim on fourth spot. Instead, a ninth Premier League defeat of the season means Liverpool now lie in sixth place as the race to finish fourth hots up.

With a Champions League place the reward, the tussle between Spurs, Manchester City, Liverpool and Aston Villa promises to go down to the wire in the remaining weeks of the season. Currently only four points separate the four teams, though Villa have games in hand on their rivals. This latest defeat means that Liverpool now look likely to finish outside the European places altogether.

Going into last night's game, Wigan had won only one of their last 13 matches – a defeat of Wolves two months ago – but the visitors arrived at the DW Stadium hardly chock full of confidence. Goalless in their three previous League outings away from home, Liverpool's woes continued as they fluffed a succession of goal-scoring opportunities. Fernando Torres missed a quartet of chances – the closest he came was when he hit the post early on – and Steven Gerrard's recent run of poor form continued as he failed to find the net midway through the first-half after he had been put in the clear by Yossi Benayoun.

Liverpool's frustration grew in line with their profligacy and by the end of the evening the names of five Reds were in the referee' book, including those of Torres and Gerrard.  

Wigan meanwhile were playing like a side that didn't look like they were searching for only their second league win of the year. Charles N'Zogbia caused palpitations in the Liverpool defence every time he ran at them and Hugo Rodallega was also a constant menace. And it was the Colombian who broke the deadlock on 35 minutes after yet another Liverpool error. Dirk Kuyt gave the ball away to Emerson Boyce out wide on the right and he whipped in a cross with the outside of his boot, which was tapped into the Liverpool net by an unmarked Rodallega.

Liverpool had several chances to level but with Torres' shooting boots back in Anfield and the rest of his teammates equally inept, the Merseysiders endured a miserable second period. Not even the introduction of Glen Johnson as a late substitute – the England full-back's first appearance of the year – could inspire the Reds as they slumped to one of their most embarrassing defeats of the season.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez offered no excuses in the wake of the humiliation, clearly as angry with the result as the travelling fans. "I'm really disappointed," he said.  "The first half we didn't do anything and we didn't show the attitude that is required. It's difficult to explain. At half-time we talked about the things we weren't doing well - the attitude and the character. We made too many mistakes and played too quickly."

With Liverpool facing Lille in the Europa League on Thursday, Benitez has precious little time to lift the morale of his despondent squad. Wigan, on the other hand, move up to 14th spot thanks to their battling performance, four points clear of the relegation zone. ·