Noble's spot prize heaps more pressure on Rafa

Four successive draws and a defeat later, a frustrated Rafael Benitez and his team can forget about getting their hands on the crown jewels.

A Mark Noble penalty three minutes into added time sealed victory for West Ham last night after a careless challenge by Jamie Carragher on Freddie Ljungberg.

Put aside the embarrassment of Havant & Waterlooville taking the lead twice at Anfield in the FA Cup last Saturday and consider the statistics that will prevent Liverpool challenging at the top of the table.

This morning, they are a staggering 17 points behind Manchester United and Arsenal. No hope and no chance. They last won the league title in 1990 and the years still roll on. After this wretched performance, they can tick another one off.

Robert Green, who is likely to be named in Fabio Capello's first England squad this afternoon, almost handed them an early advantage when he miscued an innocuous backpass.

West Ham's defence failed to clear and Dirk Kuyt's clever through-ball sent Yossi Benayoun — returning to boos from the home fans — galloping past George McCartney but his effort cleared the crossbar.

A let-off for Green, but Liverpool lacked energy and enthusiasm in the early stages. Despite the obvious talents of Fernando Torres, his side were lacking invention in possession. Steven Gerrard cannot carry the passengers in this team for much longer and there are increasing fears that Liverpool will be cut adrift from their Premier League rivals.

They slipped to sixth in the table when Blackburn and Aston Villa drew last weekend, but failure to finish in the top four is not an option.

The riches of the Champions League have seen to that for a club creaking under the weight of a £350million refinancing package and the expectations of the supporters who crave success. George Gillett and Tom Hicks, Liverpool's floundering co-owners, have made their position abundantly clear, but Benitez is struggling to put the finishing touches to this talented team.

He made eight changes to the side that eventually saw off Havant at the weekend, but rotation is no guarantee of results.

They have been beaten only twice in the league this season, but 10 draws have left them clinging desperately to the coat-tails of Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Everton and Aston Villa.

Upton Park is famed for its intimidating atmosphere, but 34,000 supporters were strangely subdued last night. Granted, they are missing the eclectic mix of players who finished ninth in their first season back in the Premier League and were within a whisker of beating Liverpool in the FA Cup Final, but something is usually stirring in the East End. Perhaps a lack of activity in the January transfer window or the end of their FA Cup ambitions at Manchester City are telling factors.

Alan Curbishley continues to overlook Dean Ashton, named as a substitute for the ninth time this season, and persists with his lone striker system.

Ashton's presence on the touchline guarantees a warm ripple of applause from the supporters stationed in the Bobby Moore stand, but Curbishley is not listening.

The pair have fallen out, make no mistake, and Ashton is playing a waiting game while the board deliberate the long-term future of their manager and a player who was named in Steve McClaren's first England squad. Little wonder then that the locals are crying out for some imagination in a team that boasts the creative talents of Ljungberg and Luis Boa Morte.

Carlton Cole is eager to please up front, but the West Ham striker is desperate for some support. He was up against Carragher and the Liverpool defender rarely lost a header in the first half. When Cole finally managed to elude him just before the break, Pepe Reina bravely came off his line to punch clear. They had other chances, but the Hammers lacked finesse in front of goal. Boa Morte spooned an effort over the bar, while Steve Finnan's defensive header skimmed the bar from Noble's free-kick.

Liverpool needed reminders at half-time and they certainly got them. Their first half had been lacking ideas, but Gerrard drove them forward after the break. It seems almost impossible to imagine that a player with as much talent as Gerrard will never get his hands on the Premier League trophy, but that is an increasingly likely prospect.

In comparison to Gerrard, Harry Kewell, once regarded as one of the finest left wingers in the world, was anonymous.

For the game to yield a goal came as something of a surprise. But the penalty was just another body blow for Benitez in what is becoming an increasingly miserable season.