Keane in the cold as Liverpool slip behind

With Robbie Keane back but only to occupy the bench for 84 minutes, Liverpool squandered their opportunity to keep pace with Manchester United after going in front at the JJB Stadium and almost left without a point after Wigan, unluckily beaten at Anfield earlier in the season, finished so strongly that it was Rafa Benitez who was relieved to hear the final whistle.

A clear penalty late in the game allowed Mido, on his Wigan debut, to equalise the first-half goal from Yossi Benayoun on which Liverpool had failed to build. Keane, restored to the Liverpool squad after his exclusion from last Sunday's FA Cup tie against Everton, was sent on only as a last resort, replacing a weary Steven Gerrard after Wigan had drawn level, too late to have better than a slim chance of influencing the outcome.