Portsmouth - 1 Liverpool - 3: Liverpool's strikers will reflect on the league campaign with a tinge of regret. If the season had begun in October, the club might have been crowned champions, but their failure to burst from the blocks ultimately cost the title.
Yesterday's goals may have been the combined work of Fernando Morientes, Robbie Fowler, Peter Crouch and Djibril Cisse, but it was the attack's slow start, when Rafael Benitez's array of international forwards could barely register a goal between them, that counted.
"The problem was that we started playing well but we couldn't score the goals we needed," said Benitez. "At this moment we are close to Chelsea. We feel we can do something next season. To get 82 points is fantastic, but maybe we need to win more against the bigger teams next season. We must be happy with the progress of the team, but we need to improve a little bit if we want to win the title."
Earlier inadequacies also handed second place to Manchester United, leaving Liverpool to navigate the qualifying stages of the Champions League in August. However, with last season's Champions League triumph and Saturday's FA Cup final to come, Liverpool's fans, like those of Portsmouth, recognise their manager's fine work.
There was a standing ovation for Harry Redknapp before the kick-off as he received the Premiership manager of the month award. Benitez possesses a valid case to appeal against that decision, given Liverpool's perfect record in the same period, but Portsmouth's story was even more remarkable.
Backed by the roar of the Pompey party booming in Fratton Park, Redknapp's team hustled Liverpool from the start, but they were almost undone by their eagerness to please in the 11th minute. With men committed upfield for a corner, John Arne Riise punted his clearance 60 yards towards the opposing area. Brian Priske his misjudged a header to invite Steven Gerrard in on goal, and the Liverpool captain was denied only by Dean Kiely's smart reaction save.
As news of Manchester United's third goal filtered through, Liverpool's performance adopted an air of resignation. It got worse with the sight of the midfielder Xabi Alonso being carried off on a stretcher with a twisted right ankle sustained after landing awkwardly unchallenged. Benitez later allayed fears he will miss the FA Cup final on Saturday.
"He thinks he will be fit but we will do a scan (today) and then we can say something. He's not in a lot of pain - he's confident."
In spite of Alonso's loss shortly before half-time, Liverpool were soon rejuvenated and went ahead seven minutes into the second half. Morientes dinked the ball to Fowler, who sweetly swept it between Kiely and the right-hand post. It was fitting after the 31-year-old had gleefully grasped the one-year contract carrot that had been dangling in front of his eyes.
"We don't care," sang the home crowd as Portsmouth huffed and puffed for an equaliser, but the attacking menace that featured heavily during their fight for safety was notably absent.
Liverpool doubled the lead in the 84th minute when Harry Kewell fed Cisse on the right flank and, with his first touch since replacing Fowler, the Frenchman's drilled cross was only parried by Kiely. Crouch will not score an easier goal than the tap-in from the rebound.
Ognjen Koroman side-footed home Wayne Routledge's cross a minute later, but it was all over when Cisse sped away from the offside trap to drive past a despairing Kiely. If only Liverpool had started the season as they ended it.
Guardian Service
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