Liverpool are brought back down to earth

Middlesbrough have not conceded a goal in the three matches under Terry Venables' new regime at Teesside. Another obsessive and resolute defensive display, allied to a goal stolen by Christian Karembeu late in the first half, will strengthen the belief that their Premiership status can be maintained.

Venables' shameless emphasis upon defending deep and in numbers, so negating Liverpool's counter-attacking style, contributed to an often dire contest that for the first hour was almost devoid of incident, but his tactical astuteness could not be faulted.

Gerard Houllier's young side was outwitted and the Liverpool manager pronounced himself stunned.

"We kept the ball, they kept the result," he said. "They just sat back and waited. I have lost some games in my life but this was one of the strangest."

For the home fans, the sight of Gianluca Festa being sick on the pitch before the start of the second half was a symbol of Middlesbrough's heroic resistance.

If successive victories against Manchester United and Arsenal had convinced Liverpool that their old authority was about to be restored, their self-esteem was surely punctured by a display in which they had neither the wit nor the desire to make good an abundance of possession.

Victory at the Riverside would have put them third, but there were few signs of Champions League shrewdness.

Steven Gerrard was a rare exception, as he sought to rally Liverpool almost single-handedly and it was appropriate that their last attack saw him in the thick of things, desperately seeking an equaliser.

Liverpool were orderly enough, but, half chances for Michael Owen and Markus Babbel apart, they produced nothing of note as their own lack of wit played into Middlesbrough's hands.

Middlesbrough's goal was a blessed relief. Karembeu picked out Curtis Fleming on the right of the area.

Fleming's shot possessed enough power to squirm away from Sander Westerveld and Karembeu dashed in to poke home his second Middlesbrough goal.

Venables' most potent attacking gambit has been to shake the complacency from Karembeu and the Frenchman might also have created a goal after 15 minutes when Noel Whelan, 12 yards out and with time at his disposal, pulled his shot across goal.

Owen just had time to spurn two inviting opportunities - a header too high from Gerrard's low cross and a scuffed shot after Emile Heskey had teed him up - before he was replaced eight minutes into the second half by Robbie Fowler.

Gary McAllister was also introduced, but there were just too many under-performers - Nick Barmby, against his old club, prominent among them - for Liverpool to find a solution.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Fleming, Festa, Karembeu (Hudson 69), Ehiogu, Ince, O'Neill, Okon, Cooper, Whelan (Job 90), Boksic (Deane 75). Subs Not Used: Gordon, Crossley. Booked: Cooper. Goals: Karembeu 41.

Liverpool: Westerveld, Henchoz, Babbel (Murphy 81), Hyypia, Carragher, Biscan (McAllister 54), Gerrard, Barmby, Smicer, Heskey, Owen (Fowler 54). Subs Not Used: Hamann, Arphexad. Booked: Carragher, Barmby.

Referee: S Lodge (Barnsley).