Bookmakers did not agree, establishing Manchester United as favourites again, only to change their tune . . . and odds . . . as soon as old boy Michael Duberry landed on Wayne Rooney's foot last Sunday.

Going into this afternoon's matches, Jose Mourinho's side have four more points than United, but they now face a stiffer test than those awkward ones posed by Birmingham and Reading. Liverpool have for once made a flying start of their own. Pleasingly for Rafa Benitez, his rotations have worked well . . . too often in the past, chopping and chang early on has been costly in cohesion, morale and results.

Six changes were made for the win against Toulouse and as many are expected today.

Only Steven Gerrard of the front six, fractured toe and all, has started both games.

"Every top side has a similar problem, " Benitez said on Friday. "They need to understand we are trying the best for the club. It's not easy because you want to play every game but it's clear you must do it. If you want to play in the Champions League and compete then you must be at a top club and realise there will be other good players."

Becoming European champions in that first season, however freakish, has been a huge bonus for Benitez, winning over supporters frustrated by a moderate domestic campaign. But regaining the trophy last season might have been counter-productive in that the American owners could have been inclined to cock a deaf ear to the managers' pleas for investment.

Instead he was handed �45million and will soon have to deliver more trophies or modify his argument that the clubs who win them . . . Chelsea and Manchester United . . . are the biggest spenders.

It was, however, at Anfield last January that his opposing number Mourinho, of all people, saw the damage of not spending. With John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho missing, Robert Huth sold and Roman Abramovic refusing to sanction the purchase of Tal Ben Haim, Chelsea had to field a partnership of Paulo Ferreira and Michael Essien, who were tormented in a 2-0 defeat. Now Ben Haim has belatedly been signed up. The back-door has been bolted, after one title disappeared through it. Today we'll begin to see how tight.