Benitez had 18 players away on international duty last week, hampering his options for this early kick-off and, offered a choice of the league or the Champions League this season, Benitez said: "I would take the Premiership, if I could choose."

But to do that, and win games such as these, is something Benitez would rather do without using all his top players all of the time. He rested Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres but, denied a goal from any other source, brought on his marquee names. They too failed to find a way through as the rampant Liverpool of a fortnight ago was nowhere to be seen.

Yet long before the appearance of Gerrard and Torres, the match's key moment had taken place, namely the penalty. Taken by Nwankwo Kanu after 30 minutes, Pepe Reina dived to his right to push it away. "A crap penalty, " complained Harry Redknapp, who was without his firstchoice penalty taker Matt Taylor. "I think players should put their boot into it. I didn't fancy him when he was taking it, " he added.

The award itself was contentious, as the assistant referee flagged for a gentle shirt pull by Alvaro Arbeloa on Benjani Mwaruwari. Cue much protesting, although the Reds were not complaining about Kanu's weak effort.

With Torres on the bench, this was an opportunity for Peter Crouch to impress and there was some early promise when he picked out Yossi Benayoun after four minutes.

The Israeli tried a low shot that David James saw late and saved down by the foot of his near post.

Crouch, too, tried his luck against James but the Pompey keeper repelled the shot and Crouch's replacement by Torres was all too inevitable.

Portsmouth under Redknapp have enjoyed their games against Liverpool and this could have been another profitable game against the men from Merseyside. The hosts wasted an opportunity that was almost as inviting as the penalty with 52 minutes gone. Papa Bouba Diop found John Utaka and the Nigerian was able to turn but, mystifyingly, pulled his shot wide of Reina's goal. Sulley Muntari then did something similar with 15 minutes left.