Liverpool slumped to an embarrassing 1-0 defeat at home to lowly Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League on Wednesday, adding to the pressure on its manager Roy Hodgson.
Wolves, which was bottom of the table when the game kicked off and was without an away league win all season, took the three points after Stephen Ward flicked the ball past Pepe Reina in the 56th minute.
It was a poor performance by Liverpool, which had captain Steven Gerrard back after six weeks out with a hamstring injury but which had faced an enforced break from Premier League football due to the weather.
Snow had forced the postponements of games against Fulham and Blackpool, meaning the Reds had not played in the league for 18 days. That showed as the home side lacked invention and energy, while a lively Wolves side ended a run of six defeats away from home thanks to Ward's first Premier League goal.
The last time Wolves won at Anfield was 27 years ago next month when Steve Mardenborough scored the only goal of his Wanderers career.
But there could be no complaints from the home side which did not do nearly enough to extend a six-match unbeaten home record stretching back to its loss to newcomers Blackpool on October 3.
Those were the dark days of the Reds' campaign, when the side was lingering in the relegation zone after its worst start for 57 years.
Hodgson cannot afford a return to those times with his side 12th in the table and owners New England Sports Ventures still deciding how much money they are willing to give the manager to strengthen the squad in next month's transfer window.
It might have finished very differently if Liverpool had made the most of an early chance for Raul Meireles.
A quickly-taken free-kick by Spain striker Fernando Torres in the seventh minute left defender George Elokobi floundering and put Meireles clean through, but the Portugal international could only shoot straight at keeper Wayne Hennessey, leaving Richard Stearman to clear the loose ball.
Wolves soon recovered from the setback and began probing the Liverpool defense with a series of aerial balls into the box. Though there were no clearcut chances, the visitors were doing enough at both ends to keep Liverpool at bay.
After the break, Liverpool could again have taken an early lead as Dirk Kuyt's pass to Glen Johnson inside the penalty area set up David Ngog but he hooked wide from six yards (meters).
Wolves defender Ronald Zubar was slightly closer with his shot on the turn as he at least forced Reina, on his 200th Premier League appearance, into a low save.
It was an omen of things to come as in the 56th minute the visitors took the lead after a mix-up between Martin Skrtel and Sotirios Kyrgiakos allowed Sylvan Ebanks-Blake's through-ball to squeeze between them.
Ward raced in behind to poke home the first goal conceded at Anfield in 478 minutes in all competitions.
Ngog was replaced by Ryan Babel just past the hour, a decision met with derision by the Kop fans, who not for the first time this season briefly chanted the name of former great Kenny Dalglish.
Liverpool was wobbling and only a last-gasp block by Johnson prevented Matthew Jarvis making it 2-0.
Hodgson's final two substitutions brought on Joe Cole and Fabio Aurelio for Meireles and Paul Konchesky, but there was no salvation.
Two minutes from time, Skrtel headed in a free-kick taken by Gerrard but the Liverpool defender was clearly offside.
