It says it all about how vital Steven Gerrard is to Liverpool that over the last six league games he has scored more goals than Manchester United's entire star-studded side.
Liverpool's captain fantastic has netted five times, which is one more than Rooney, Berbatov, Tevez and Co put together.
Little wonder then that Liverpool should rush to pledge him their total support within hours of him being charged with assault and affray on Monday.
Gerrard will be thankful for the club's backing and for all his success on the pitch, he has always carried the weight of the Anfield world on his shoulders.
Liverpool's fear is that his scintillating form and their title hopes could be hit by his looming court case.
Rafa Benitez will try to avert this nightmare scenario for Liverpool by making it business as usual for Gerrard when he and his team-mates return to training at Melwood today.
Liverpool's title rivals may see Gerrard's difficulty as their opportunity, but in reality they have worries of their own to contend with.
United, despite boasting £100million worth of attacking talent, can hardly buy a goal.
Arsenal have lost midfield general Cesc Fabregas to longterm injury and Chelsea's stuttering form goes on, transfer money is suddenly an issue and Didier Drogba continues to rock the boat.
Sir Alex Ferguson rarely offers hope to his adversaries, but after seeing his Manchester United side squeeze past Middlesbrough 1-0 on Monday, even he admitted he was worried by their lack of goals.
United's goal tally over their last six league games reads like some binary code - 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0. Those four goals may have earned United four 1-0 wins and 12 precious points, but Ferguson knows they cannot keep relying on such fine margins.
"We are concerned that we're making so many chances and not taking them," he said.
"I hope we don't live to suffer because of it.
"If there's one part of the game that's giving us any concern, it's the finishing.
"It's a big worry for us and we had to work hard for it again against Middlesbrough.
"The players' performance level is very good and the concentration and energy of the team are very good as well, so we've got to hope we can start scoring regularly." The United manager will be particularly concerned by the form of his three frontline strikers - Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov.
The enigmatic Bulgarian's winner against Boro was only his third league goal for United in 15 appearances.
And Tevez has managed two in 13 games and Rooney just one in his last nine Premier League matches.
But all is not well elsewhere, either.
Chelsea, who have dropped 11 out of their last 21 points, should be boosted by the return to fitness of main goalscorer Drogba.
Instead, the sulky Ivory Coast striker has continued to bemoan his misfortune at playing for one of the richest clubs in the world.
And boss Luiz Felipe Scolari wants to change the team's fortunes with a major transfer market plunge.
But he is coming under increasing scrutiny and has been told he must sell players before he buys. At Arsenal, Arsene Wenger's reluctance to spend big in the summer has come back to haunt him, with the loss of Fabregas and Theo Walcott exposing a lack of depth in the Gunners squad.
In addition, William Gallas's outburst, which saw him stripped of the club captaincy, has created dressing-room tensions and there is now uncertainty about the ownership of the club following recent boardroom upheavals.
The only certainty in the second half of what is shaping up to be one of the most exciting Premier League seasons ever is the uncertainty hovering over England's most powerful clubs.
Liverpool's captain fantastic has netted five times, which is one more than Rooney, Berbatov, Tevez and Co put together.
Little wonder then that Liverpool should rush to pledge him their total support within hours of him being charged with assault and affray on Monday.
Gerrard will be thankful for the club's backing and for all his success on the pitch, he has always carried the weight of the Anfield world on his shoulders.
Liverpool's fear is that his scintillating form and their title hopes could be hit by his looming court case.
Rafa Benitez will try to avert this nightmare scenario for Liverpool by making it business as usual for Gerrard when he and his team-mates return to training at Melwood today.
Liverpool's title rivals may see Gerrard's difficulty as their opportunity, but in reality they have worries of their own to contend with.
United, despite boasting £100million worth of attacking talent, can hardly buy a goal.
Arsenal have lost midfield general Cesc Fabregas to longterm injury and Chelsea's stuttering form goes on, transfer money is suddenly an issue and Didier Drogba continues to rock the boat.
Sir Alex Ferguson rarely offers hope to his adversaries, but after seeing his Manchester United side squeeze past Middlesbrough 1-0 on Monday, even he admitted he was worried by their lack of goals.
United's goal tally over their last six league games reads like some binary code - 1, 1, 0, 1, 1, 0. Those four goals may have earned United four 1-0 wins and 12 precious points, but Ferguson knows they cannot keep relying on such fine margins.
"We are concerned that we're making so many chances and not taking them," he said.
"I hope we don't live to suffer because of it.
"If there's one part of the game that's giving us any concern, it's the finishing.
"It's a big worry for us and we had to work hard for it again against Middlesbrough.
"The players' performance level is very good and the concentration and energy of the team are very good as well, so we've got to hope we can start scoring regularly." The United manager will be particularly concerned by the form of his three frontline strikers - Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez and Dimitar Berbatov.
The enigmatic Bulgarian's winner against Boro was only his third league goal for United in 15 appearances.
And Tevez has managed two in 13 games and Rooney just one in his last nine Premier League matches.
But all is not well elsewhere, either.
Chelsea, who have dropped 11 out of their last 21 points, should be boosted by the return to fitness of main goalscorer Drogba.
Instead, the sulky Ivory Coast striker has continued to bemoan his misfortune at playing for one of the richest clubs in the world.
And boss Luiz Felipe Scolari wants to change the team's fortunes with a major transfer market plunge.
But he is coming under increasing scrutiny and has been told he must sell players before he buys. At Arsenal, Arsene Wenger's reluctance to spend big in the summer has come back to haunt him, with the loss of Fabregas and Theo Walcott exposing a lack of depth in the Gunners squad.
In addition, William Gallas's outburst, which saw him stripped of the club captaincy, has created dressing-room tensions and there is now uncertainty about the ownership of the club following recent boardroom upheavals.
The only certainty in the second half of what is shaping up to be one of the most exciting Premier League seasons ever is the uncertainty hovering over England's most powerful clubs.
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