Bolton Wanderers - 2 Liverpool - 2 Liverpool, largely freed from injuries, are positioned to push for a Champions League place. But their failure to curb Bolton's make-believe season means they have not won in the league for four matches and the reuniting of Steve Gerrard, Michael Owen, Harry Kewell and Jamie Carragher has brought no immediate dividends.

The longer the run continues, the longer Gerrard will become the captain trying to do too much, and the more the position of his manager, Gerrard Houllier, will be questioned on Merseyside.

Gerrard made one goal, scored another and each time his Liverpool team-mates congratulated him tentatively as if they knew only too well that they were not satisfying his demands.

Gerrard barged, ran and crossed with maximum commitment. But at times he was a captain desperately trying to do too much, as he tried to make up for the shortcomings of others.

Kewell remains a sublime talent betrayed by a lack of killer instinct. You could imagine Gerrard watching Kewell's slacker moments and exclaiming red-faced to himself: "And he says he is a Liverpool fan!"

In the final minute, as he saw England's sharpest goalscorer allow a chance to go begging from four yards out, Gerrard must even have wished he had tried to score himself rather than tee-up Owen.

Sam Allardyce, manager of a Bolton side who twice led, said of Gerrard's prodigious contribution to a watchable encounter: "If he carries on like that, England will have no problems at the European Championships in Portugal."

But the pressing question for Gerrard is not England's future, but Liverpool's. "Steven is a great captain, he led by example," Houllier said, before adding: "He looked a bit down at half-time."

A bit of an understatement.

From the third minute, when Owen failed to get his head to Gerrard's deep left-wing cross, Liverpool's combustible captain will have known he was in for a frustrating afternoon

Liverpool controlled much of the game, but to little purpose. The verve came from Bolton: the pace of Henrik Pedersen, the unstinting midfield work of Kevin Nolan, the slow-motion collapsibility of Ivan Campo, or the brightness of the right back, Nicky Hunt. It was he who put Bolton ahead from the right of the area, drilling a low shot past the flat-footed Jerzy Dudek.

Soon after half-time Liverpool were level, Gerrard's wonderful curling free-kick allowing Sammy Hyypia to plant a header past Jussi Jaaskelainen. Youri Djorkaeff then tucked Bolton ahead again after Kevin Davies squared Nolan's cross.

Gerrard rescued a draw 20 minutes from time, lashing in Le Tallec's far-post chip. His animalistic punch of delight was towards Liverpool's supporters, not his team-mates. It spoke volumes.