Chelsea lost the chance to move within three points of Arsenal, the Premier League leaders, after they were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Liverpool at Stamford Bridge.
Liverpool had much the better of a lacklustre encounter and Rafael Benitez’s team would have ended their woeful record here if Peter Crouch had shown more composure, but the England forward wasted their best opportunities, leaving Liverpool without a goal in their last eight visits to west London.
It was a dour stalemate that did little for either side. Chelsea could be eight points behind Arsenal if Arsene Wenger’s team beat Blackburn Rovers tomorrow, while Liverpool are now three points adrift of fourth-placed Everton.
Chelsea at least managed to extend their unbeaten home league record to 76 matches, a run stretching back four years, but that was little consolation for Avram Grant’s men.
Benitez, the Liverpool manager, has made it abundantly clear that he blames the breakdown of his relationship with the club’s American owners for the club’s inconsistent campaign. But that ignores the fact that, despite spending millions in pre-season, Liverpool are still no closer to a title challenge.
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Liverpool arrived in London reduced to trying to keep pace with local rivals Everton in the race for a top four finish. As if that wasn’t dispiriting enough, they hadn’t scored a goal at Stamford Bridge since Benitez took charge four years ago and were without injured striker Fernando Torres.
They had the first chance after a tentative opening from both sides. Crouch, handed a rare start in Torres’s absence, climbed above Ricardo Carvalho and headed down to Ryan Babel. The Dutch winger’s flick gave Crouch a sight of goal and his low shot flashed just wide.
Crouch had been sent off in his side’s League Cup defeat at Chelsea earlier this season and his luck was out again. He took up a good position from Steven Gerrard’s cross but Petr Cech saved his header easily.
Manchester United’s surprise defeat against Manchester City earlier had given Grant’s side a chance to close the gap on the top two. But, despite Frank Lampard’s return from six weeks out with a thigh injury, they were lethargic from start to finish.
They squandered possession with alarming frequency and could only offer a hopeful appeal for a penalty when Joe Cole tumbled under Javier Mascherano’s challenge.
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At least Liverpool could be content after dominating for long spells but another half chance went begging when Crouch headed wide from Dirk Kuyt’s cross.
Claude Makelele tried to lift Chelsea’s tempo early in the second half with a long range strike. But the visitors, superbly marshalled by Jamie Carragher, refused to let them get the upper hand. Nicolas Anelka, so lively in his first few Chelsea appearances, barely made a significant contribution in attack.
Finally Chelsea had a clear chance when Ashley Cole’s cross picked out Michael Ballack, but the Germany midfielder volleyed wide of the far post.