WE’VE been here before. Another decent Wanderers’ performance which suggested at times they were capable of upstaging one of the big four, a crucial call that went against them, more missed chances.

It’s a safe bet Rob Styles is off Gary Megson’s Christmas card list by now.

When the Hampshire referee awarded the ‘penalty that never was’ in an identical situation at Old Trafford back in September he called the Whites boss on Monday morning to apologise for the error.

If he tries the same this morning after controversially disallowing Gary Cahill’s headed goal on the stroke of half time, he might well find himself talking to an answering machine.

The decision came with Liverpool a Dirk Kuyt goal to the good and Wanderers again looking menacing from a corner.

Kevin Nolan took up a position in front of Pepe Reina and appeared to be shoved by the keeper before Matt Taylor delivered the ball into the six-yard box.

Reina came to collect the corner but found his path blocked. Cahill climbed to head the ball home but Styles cut short the celebrations, claiming Nolan has committed a foul.

Whether the goal would have stopped Liverpool from romping away with the points is debateable, much as it was against United.

The title-chasers missed a hatful of chances and could have been out of sight had they added a second goal sooner than they did.

But Wanderers were on top early in the second half where, had they been on level terms, a very different story might have unfolded.

Listening to Rafa Benitez’s post-match comments, you’d have thought his side had been subjected to a 90-minute aerial bombardment of Rory Delap proportions.

But that has been the stock response for anyone visiting the Reebok for years, and you can only assume he was caught out by the early kick-off because Wanderers traded flowing football in an impressive manner in the opening stages.

Matt Taylor – retained on the right wing with Johan Elmander used on the left – was the catalyst for most of his side’s best work.

He sent a low shot just wide of goal 10 minutes in before teeing-up Kevin Nolan for an effort from the edge of the box that was gathered well by Pepe Reina.

Steven Gerrard, man-marked by Fabrice Muamba, was all-but anonymous for the opening half hour.

However, Liverpool are not top of the league for nothing and prompted by the amazing passing range of Xabi Alonso, they set about gaining a better foothold in the game.

Jussi Jaaskelainen had blocked a shot from Robbie Keane before his woodwork bailed him out on 22 minutes, when Dirk Kuyt narrowly failed to open the scoring with his head after an excellent passage of play.

The Dutchman is enjoying life at Anfield after spending so long as a peripheral character and his new-found sharpness was evident as he opened the scoring seven minutes later with another fine header, this time from Albert Riera’s centre.

But after such a promising start, it was if the art of finishing vanished from the game from there on in.

Robbie Keane started the ball rolling, failing to connect with Kuyt’s low cross with the goal gaping.

Cahill thought he had got it right when he met Taylor’s corner with a firm header only to head down the tunnel disappointed when Styles inexplicably ruled the goal out.

Had Wanderers started the second half on level terms, their faster, more attacking second-half football could have seen them press for a winner. As it was, Ricardo Gardner’s introduction picked up the pace but ultimately, never provided the goal to get them back in the game.

The winger seemed to be everywhere in a 15-minute spell. He looked a man determined to prove his manager wrong for dropping him to the bench. But his second half cameo spelled out both why Gary Megson should pick him and exactly why he didn’t.

His pace and energy caused the visitors no end of worries and his dribbling skills earned several set pieces, one of which Nolan hit from 25 yards to bring a decent save from Reina.

But the frustrating side of his game surfaced when he was twice played through on goal, only to miss the most gilt-edged of chances.

In-between, Steven Gerrard showed that the Wanderers man was not alone in the wasteful stakes, somehow conspiring to miss from four yards but end up himself in the back of the net.

You can’t keep a good man down, though, and when Andy O’Brien failed to clear his lines on 73 minutes, substitute Fernando Torres put another chance on a plate for the Reds skipper which this time he duly took.

The scoreline could then have been worse. Demoralised, the Whites let Torres in for two good chances late on, one of which he crashed against the post and the second well-saved by Jaaskelainen.

Fellow sub Lucas also missed a glorious chance at the far post. It was par for the course by that point.

And so the focus switched back to Styles and the decision that swung the game. You fear that this time, saying sorry might not be enough.