Fulham...0 Liverpool...2: Liverpool's hopes of winning the league title for the first time since 1990 could depend not on Michael Owen's form and fitness, nor the imminent return of Gerard Houllier, but the fact that of their remaining nine Premiership games, six are at home.
For many teams this would be a good thing, and one would think especially so for Liverpool where over the years few opponents have needed to be reminded by the sign in the tunnel that "This Is Anfield".
But while home is still where the heart is for Liverpool, this season it is not always where the points are. Saturday's victory over Fulham brought Liverpool's tally of Premiership away wins this season to 10 - equal best in the division alongside Arsenal.
Although Liverpool's home record is not the worst of the top four, their run of just one league win in their last six home games is not title-winning form.
Just as worrying is the fact that apart from Arsenal, who won 2-1 at Anfield, none of Liverpool's other recent visitors have been world-beaters. Fulham, Bolton, Southampton and Everton have all come away with draws, which does not bode well for Liverpool's hopes of taking three points from the remaining visits of Newcastle, Chelsea, Charlton, Blackburn, Derby and Ipswich.
The acting manager Phil Thompson knows that to win the title Anfield must once again become a fortress.
"You've got to have real belief in yourselves when you go for the title and my players certainly have that," he said. "The only disappointing thing is that we have been better away from home than at Anfield."
Liverpool's problem is all too clear to anyone who has watched them playing at home in the Champions League: they lack that extra dimension of attacking ingenuity required to break down well-organised or well-stocked defences.
On their travels, though, Liverpool are a different side. The tightest defence in the Premiership - 25 goals conceded in 29 games - soaks up the pressure, then the strikers pounce on the counter-attack. Pace and space.
It is a recipe which, in Liverpool's last three away league games, has seen them win 4-0 at Leeds, 6-0 at Ipswich and now 2-0 at Fulham, and must give them hope for the crucial Champions League tie in Barcelona on March 13th.
Liverpool's future prospects will also be helped by the return from injury of Nick Barmby, the imminent return from injury of Steven Gerrard and the fact that Jamie Carragher's ban has just one more match to run.
Fulham created plenty of chances on Saturday but could not convert them - a recurring problem all season. Sami Hyypia and Stephane Henchoz were absolutely outstanding in central defence.
Fulham were given a lesson in taking chances at the other end. On 13 minutes Nicolas Anelka, in for the rested Owen, increased his hopes of a permanent deal with a classy curling strike from 16 yards.
Then in injury time the under-used Finn Jari Litmanen, on as a substitute, took advantage of Edwin van der Sar's rush from goal, rounded his former Ajax colleague and from a seemingly impossible wide angle, found the empty net.
FULHAM: Van der Sar, Finnan, Goma, Ouaddou, Brevett, Legwinski, Malbranque, Davis (Clark 25), Saha, Marlet, Boa Morte (Hayles 66), Clark (Collins 76). Subs Not Used: Taylor, Melville. Booked: Legwinski, Brevett, Boa Morte.
LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Xavier, Hyypia, Henchoz, Wright, Smicer (Barmby 71), Hamann, Murphy, Riise, Anelka (Litmanen 80), Heskey. Subs Not Used: Kirkland, McAllister, Owen. Booked: Wright, Hyypia. Goals: Anelka 13, Litmanen 90.
Referee: A Wiley (Burntwood).
