Liverpool's inability to find the killer touch meant that they wasted the chance to take a positive hold on the Premier League's runners-up spot.

As it was they limped ahead of Manchester United with this hugely unimpressive performance and showed nothing that will have the men from Old Trafford shaking in their boots as the season reaches its climax.

Charlton cannot be blamed for sitting deep and defended with a blanket of white shirts far more formidable than the snow shower which covered Anfield before kick-off.

Former Everton goalkeeper Thomas Myhre produced a string of fine saves and the men in front of him withstood everything an increasingly impotent Liverpool could throw at them.

Benitez made five changes from the side that beat Manchester City at Anfield last weekend - no doubt with Wednesday's Champions League return against Benfica at Anfield in mind.

Robbie Fowler returned and Djibril Cisse made his first start in six matches.

Jamie Carragher returned from suspension while Dietmar Hamann and Djimi Traore were in the starting line-up with Xabi Alonso, Steve Finnan, John Arne Riise and Fernando Morientes rested to the bench.

It was a lot simpler for Charlton boss Alan Curbishley, who named the same side that drew at home to Aston Villa last time out.

And an Anfield full house sat back and watched as Liverpool utterly dominated the first half.

Twice in the opening minutes Harry Kewell went close. First with a hooked volley blocked by Luke Young and then with an 18-yard effort that swerved just wide of a post.

And then Fowler almost gave the Kop what they wanted from him, when he picked up the ball in midfield before setting off on an angled run which ended with a drive just wide of Thomas Myhre's left hand post.

Liverpool were getting closer. Steven Gerrard's right wing cross then forced Hermann Hreidarsson into a lunging deflection which forced Myhre into a diving save to his left.

The home side had Charlton pinned in their own last third with a constant flow of crosses, mainly from Gerrard on the right, which caused Charlton endless problems.

Marcus and Darren Bent were the long range targets for defenders, but Charlton were only able to get Radostin Kishishev forward in support.

Kewell tested Myhre with a six-yard header before the former Everton goalkeeper stopped Cisse twice in the closing minutes of the half.

Cisse saw a neatly placed headed pawed away from Jan Kromkamp's cross, then Cisse had saw a point blank effort from Kewell's cross blocked by Myhre.

Liverpool replaced Sami Hyypia at the break, moving Traore into the centre of defence and bringing on Riise at left-back.

Marcus Bent limped off for Charlton, with Jay Bothroyd taking over, before Young was booked for bringing down Gerrard in full flow down the right.

Liverpool injected some pace into their attack when Kromkamp surged down the right, fed Cisse and when the cross came in Peter Crouch arrived to head into Myhre's arms.

Cisse was booked for dissent as the frustration of failing to break down Charlton's blanket of defenders began to show.

Liverpool sent on Xabi Alonso for Dietmar Hamann on 73 minutes, but the chances continued to be wasted, the next being a looping Cisse header from Gerrard's cross.

Jonathan Spector had a shot which cleared the angle as Charlton edged out of deep defence in search of a shock lead, and when the visitors took off Kishishev and sent on Jason Euell, Charlton were getting braver.

With 10 minutes left Fernando Morientes replaced Crouch, but within seconds Euell had got himself into the box for a shot wide of a post before Gerrard saw a 20-yard effort deflected wide.

Chris Powell replaced Darren Ambrose three minutes from time, then - in the last minute - Fowler forced the ball past Myhre, only for Cisse to be flagged marginally offside.

It was just that sort of night for a disappointing, frustrating Liverpool.

Teams:

Liverpool Reina, Kromkamp, Carragher, Hyypia (Riise 45),Traore, Cisse, Hamann (Alonso 73), Gerrard, Kewell,Crouch (Morientes 80), Fowler.

Subs Not Used: Dudek, Finnan.

Booked: Cisse.

Charlton Myhre, Young, Perry, Hreidarsson, Spector,Ambrose (Powell 87), Kishishev (Euell 77), Holland, Hughes,Darren Bent, Marcus Bent (Bothroyd 53).

Subs Not Used: Andersen, Thomas.

Booked: Young.

Att: 43,892

Ref: M Atkinson (W Yorkshire).