This game was never quite the scintillating feast of football that was offered up in the early kick-off at the Emirates last week, although, if there was a competition for scuff of the season, it could easily have supplied around half-a-dozen contenders.

Robbie Keane, Steven Gerrard and Lucas Leiva all contrived to miss open goals from a yard out, Fernando Torres struck a post when you would have put your mortgage on him scoring and Ricardo Gardner got in on the act for the home side by passing up two second-half opportunities when he had only Pepe Reina to beat.

Had all the goal chances gone in, Liverpool would have ended up winning 6-2, which would not have been an inaccurate reflection of the game - and, although Bolton enjoy a moan, there is no point complaining about the first-half effort they did put in the back of the net that ended up being chalked off the board by Rob Styles.

Oh no, not Rob Styles. The referee who awarded a phantom penalty against Bolton at Old Trafford in September took an even braver decision here, denying Gary Cahill an equalising goal from a corner at the end of the first half. There was nothing wrong with the header, but Styles did well to spot - and even better to penalise - a subtle bit of obstruction from Kevin Nolan on the goalline, hampering Reina's movement without any intention of playing the ball.

You will hear plenty of harrumphing from the Nat Lofthouse generation about what was little more than jostling - and Gary Megson argued Reina gave Nolan a far bigger shove than he received in return - but the fact Nolan was not in contention for the ball supported the decision of the referee.

'The international rules say goalkeepers have priority,' Rafa Benítez said, to raised eyebrows all round and a comedy double-take from Megson. 'They might not be applied as often as they should be, but, on this occasion, the referee was right.'

Obligatory controversy out of the way, the match can be summed up quite quickly. Liverpool took a while to break the deadlock because Benítez restored his real team after the Carling Cup exit away to Tottenham in midweek, but chose to leave Torres on the bench. This odd decision was made even odder by him asking Keane to lead the line on his own, while - as notional second striker - Gerrard did his usual action-man, box-to-box routine.

So, of Liverpool's two forward players, one spent most of his time running up and down the pitch, while the other was manically tracking from one touchline to the other. Result? No one in the middle to take advantage of the much-vaunted new width provided by Dirk Kuyt on the right and Alberto Riera on the left.

It was significant that, when the opening goal finally arrived after 28 minutes, it was Kuyt who scored it, from a centre-forward's position. The same player had rattled Jussi Jaaskelainen's bar five minutes earlier with the best chance of the game thus far.

Do not believe anyone who tells you Liverpool's first goal was a masterpiece of patient build-up, with the ball criss-crossing the pitch until a chink appeared in Bolton's armour. There was no one in the middle to meet a cross until Riera's effort bounced back, fortuitously, from a defender to Fábio Aurélio, who looked up to find, with relief, that Kuyt had stolen in from the right wing. An accurate centre did the rest, although it still took a good header from Kuyt to loop the ball over Jaaskelainen.

After that, with Bolton showing no threat except from set pieces, it was, as Benítez said, simply a matter of when Liverpool would kill off the game with a second goal. The answer should have been in three more minutes, but, when Kuyt rolled the most inviting of low crosses across the goalmouth for Keane, the striker produced an air-shot with the goal gaping.

So Bolton could have been two down before their disputed 'equaliser', even if levelling with a goal just before half-time might have changed the nature of what followed. As it was, they had only themselves to blame for not pegging Liverpool back after 52 minutes. Kevin Davies played Gardner clean through, only for the substitute to take the wrong option, rounding Reina, but being forced too wide and eventually slipping while in the act of shooting.

Not wanting any more such scares, Benítez promptly sent on Torres as insurance. Almost instantly, the striker set up an open goal for his captain, but Gerrard somehow contrived to produce a close-range miss that was almost as embarrassing as Keane's.

The points were finally put to bed by Liverpool when Andy O'Brien gave Torres a second chance, 17 minutes from time, and, inevitably, regretted it, the striker coming up with the deftest of short crosses for Gerrard to score with a diving header.

There was still enough time for Torres, Gardner and Lucas to all miss when scoring looked easier, but Megson accepted Bolton were never going to come back from two goals down. 'We haven't got Liverpool's resources, we haven't got their fabulous players, so we have to try to cash in on set pieces when those factors are out of the equation,' he said.

'Goalkeepers don't have priority in the six-yard area - they can't shove who they want. Kevin was just standing his ground. The only foul I saw was the shove on him by Reina. I wasn't expecting a penalty to be given, but I don't think the goal should have been ruled out either.'

THE FANS' PLAYER RATINGS AND VERDICT

Aaron Haley, WorldwideWanderers.co.uk The first half was forgettable from our point of view, but in the second we showed a step up in quality. I was disappointed Gardner didn't start the game because he's been our best player in recent weeks and when he came off the bench we started to pass the ball more. He brought a bit of directness to our play and just looked dangerous – and he had a great chance to equalise. For about half an hour before Liverpool scored their second goal, we looked like a Premier League side. I thought the referee was harsh to disallow Cahill's 'goal' just before half-time – it might have changed things. But Liverpool did look the better team and deserved to win. We just don't look that dangerous going forward.

The fan's player ratings Jaaskelainen 7; Steinsson 7, Cahill 6, A O'Brien 5, Samuel 6; Taylor 5 (Smolarek n/a), Nolan 5, Muamba 6 (Gardner 8), McCann 5, Elmander 6; Davies 6

James Carroll, ShanklyGates.co.uk There was really only one team in it in the first half – we were in total control, with Alonso pulling the strings in midfield. He has been brilliant all season and is undroppable at the moment. We probably should have scored more, but Kuyt hit the crossbar, nearly snapped it in half, and Keane missed a sitter – I don't know what he was doing. After the break, Bolton had a real go and we had a couple of nervy moments, so we needed that second goal. Torres looked a real threat when he came on, but we could and should have won by a lot more. We weren't punished for that, but it is a bit of a worry. A third of the season has gone now and, if we are still up there come February or March, we can start thinking about the title.

The fan's player ratings Reina 7; Carragher 7, Hyypia 7, Agger 8, Aurélio 7; Kuyt 8 (Lucas 84 n/a), Alonso 9, Mascherano 7, Riera 7 (Benayoun n/a); Gerrard 8; Keane 7 (Torres 8)

To take part in the Fans' Verdict, email fans@observer.co.uk