Blackburn Rovers may have sealed the fate of Liverpool manager Roy Hodgson with a 3-0 win at Ewood Park.
The home side were served well by Martin Olsson who netted just after the half-hour mark and a double either side of the break by Benjani Mwaruwari.
Reds skipper Steven Gerrard was able to grab a late consolation goal but it wasn't enough to deny Blackburn the win, allowing them to move up to ninth, pushing Liverpool out of the top half of the table.
Blackburn Rovers: 3 (Martin Olsson 32', Benjani Mwaruwari 38'/57') Liverpool: 1 (Steven Gerrard 81')
Venue: Ewood Park, Blackburn Crowd: 24,522 Referee: Andre Marriner Yellow cards:BR - David Dunn 50', Michel Salgado 86' LIV - Lucas 77'
Liverpool kicked off proceedings in positive fashion with a few half chances and plenty of forward movement but Blackburn were not to be outdone and had their first chance in the 17th minute when Mame Biram Diouf received a Martin Olsson cross only to see his attempt saved by Pepe Reina.
The contest ebbed and flowed, with the home side looking more dangerous, and it proved decisive in the 32nd minute when they hit the lead. GOAL Diouf, who was on top of his game, played a neat ball for Olsson on the left side of the penalty area and he managed to slide it home to give Rovers the ascendency.
The Reds had a solid opportunity to level the score when in the 37th minute, Fernando Torres found room to put Glen Johnson's cross on target with a header, but Mark Bunn was up to the task and kept it out.
GOAL Almost immediately after, Blackburn went 2-0 ahead when Benjani Mwaruwari beat Reina after Morten Gamst Pedersen laid it off. It was the Zimbabwean's second goal of the season.
GOAL Just over 10 minutes into the second term, Mwaruwari made it 3-0 to the Rovers when he finished a neat pass from David Hoilett. Liverpool were now at odds and ends trying to get back into the contest.
The visitors really picked up their performance after the hour-mark although it was Liverpool who scored next through captain Steven Gerrard. GOAL Gerrard did his best to get his side back into the contest, scoring with nine minutes remaining from inside the box.
Gerrard then spurned a spot-kick in the 86th minute after Michel Salgado committed a foul in the area but it was too little too late as Steve Kean notched up his second win in charge of the Lancashire club.
