For the second time in six days, albeit in far less dramatic circumstances than in the breathless Champions League victory over Olympiakos, Gerrard had dragged Liverpool almost single-handedly out of the sea of mediocrity that threatens to consume them, this time with a spectacular free kick with 20 minutes to go. It is questionable whether even a 1-0 win would have quelled his doubts about his prospects of enjoying success at Anfield. After a last-gasp goal from Loman a LuaLua, though, Liverpool must be more fearful than ever of losing their inspirational captain to Chelsea.
A draw took Liverpool up one place in the Barclays Premiership table, above Aston Villa on goal difference, but this was their chance to reduce their deficit on the leaders. Rafael Benítez, criticised for his team selection in the demoralising Merseyside derby defeat by Everton, was confident of closing the gap, particularly after making six changes to the starting line-up at Goodison Park, but LuaLua’s goal leaves leaves them 11 points adrift of their local rivals — never mind Chelsea, whom they trail by 15 points.
Nobody seems quite sure who is picking the Portsmouth team these days, but whether it is Joe Jordan, Velimir Zajec or, indeed, Mandaric, their tactics seemed to be spot-on. Amdy Faye quickly warmed to his task of man-marking Gerrard, while the industry of the other four midfield players ensured that there was minimal space for Liverpool to exploit.
It made for a highly frustrating opening period for Liverpool, who lacked either the fluency or the conviction to make the most of the vast amounts of possession they were allowed to have.
Gerrard tried to cajole his team-mates into creating something of note, dropping deeper and deeper in an effort to elude the attentions of Faye, but that isolated Milan Baros against Linvoy Primus and Arjan De Zeeuw. Only once in the first half, when he fielded a weak volley by Antonio Núñez from Gerrard’s cross in the 26th minute, was Jamie Ashdown tested in the Portsmouth goal.
By contrast, Portsmouth, sensing that their hosts may be vulnerable to the counter-attack, threatened almost every time they crossed the halfway line. LuaLua, charging unchallenged through the inside-left channel, saw one effort blocked by Steve Finnan and another saved, while Gary O’Neil curled a shot just wide of Jerzy Dudek’s left-hand post two minutes before the interval.
The home supporters suppressed the urge to express their disapproval when the half-time whistle blew and were rewarded with a far greater show of urgency after the restart. Gerrard, after an excellent turn, lifted a shot over the crossbar, while Núñez shot straight at Ashdown.
That improvement seemed to placate Benítez, who had seemed intent on making two substitutions early in the second half but, as the stalemate continued into the final quarter of the game, with Harry Kewell going close twice, the Liverpool manager signalled that he could wait no longer. He was about to send on both Neil Mellor and Florent Sinama Pongolle but, just as the two young forwards were taking off their tracksuit bottoms, Dietmar Hamann rolled a free kick into the path of Gerrard, who lashed the ball into the top left-hand corner of the goal.
That seemed to be the end of the matter, but from nowhere Portsmouth summoned the energy and enthusiasm for a late rally. Dudek saved from LuaLua in the final minute of normal time, but, as the game drifted into stoppage time, the goalkeeper flailed at a cross-shot by Matthew Taylor and LuaLua rose to head into an empty net. A penny for your thoughts, Mr Gerrard?