Debate: has Benitez cost Liverpool the title?

Rafael Benítez blamed Liverpool’s latest stumble in the Barclays Premier League title race last night on a “crazy” second half away to Wigan Athletic, but, after another bizarre post-match press conference, the Spaniard found himself having to fend off questions about his own state of mind.

Liverpool have drawn no fewer than seven of their past ten league matches and have fallen two points behind Manchester United, who have played a game fewer. The dip in form has coincided with some unexpected outbursts from Benítez, who has made public his contract dispute with the club while launching conspiracy theories about Sir Alex Ferguson’s influence over match officials.

After he reacted to Mido’s 83rd-minute equaliser by substituting Steven Gerrard, having already taken off Fernando Torres, the Liverpool manager was asked whether he was feeling the heat of the championship race. “No I am OK,” Benítez replied. “What you can’t control, you can’t change and maybe you have to understand it has to be like this for years. I don’t have any psychological battles with him [Ferguson]. He has been here for 22 years and you can see what it means. You can see what it means to stay here for 22 years. I will not say anything else.”

Caution is killing bid for long-lost title

Fans expect Liverpool to be first in the League, but it will not happen with a manager as cautious as Rafael BenÍtez

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Liverpool officials suggested that these cryptic comments reflected the manager’s unhappiness with the referee, Phil Dowd, in relation to a perceived lack of protection for his players. When asked whether this was what he meant with reference to the “crazy” second half, however, Benítez remained elusive. “The second half was a crazy game and when it is a crazy game you can’t control things,” he said. “Why was it crazy? Because it was crazy. In the last three games there has been something in common that I don’t like. I know what it is, but I can’t say anything.”

In addition to the spat with Ferguson and the contract dispute, there has also been unrest over the future of Robbie Keane, the £20.3 million summer signing, whom he appears willing to sell. Keane was named a substitute last night but his belated arrival, with six minutes remaining, came with controversy as Gerrard, the captain, was replaced. Benítez, however, defended the decision to take off Gerrard and Torres. “Both players were very, very tired,” he said. “That was clear.”

A former Liverpool player saw his hopes of an England recall shattered when Michael Owen suffered an ankle injury that will keep him out for at least six weeks. Newcastle United will also have to do without Joey Barton for ten weeks after he fractured a metatarsal bone in his right foot.

Owen had been in line for a possible recall for England’s friendly in Spain on February 11 but limped off early in a 2-1 defeat away to Manchester City and left the ground on crutches.

Robinho shrugged off a turbulent few days to put City on course for a 2-1 victory. Questioned by police on Tuesday over allegations of a serious sexual assault — which he denies — and fined about £320,000 for walking out of City’s training camp in Tenerife, the Brazilian cleverly teed up Shaun Wright-Phillips to score in the seventeenth minute. Craig Bellamy hit City’s second goal on his debut.

Chelsea beat Middlesbrough 2-0 at Stamford Bridge to edge ahead of Liverpool in second place on goal difference. Arsenal grabbed a point with Robin van Persie’s 90th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw away to Everton.