Not for the first time this season, Liverpool were forced to face the music.
But for Roy Hodgson it may be the last dance as his side appeared flat-footed and gauche against a Blackburn side ravaged by injury and suspension.
The near 9,000 fans that registered their disapproval of the 63-year-old's reign by voting with their feet against Bolton transferred itself to the club's infallible away support, with sizeable gaps throughout the Darwen End showing an increasing disillusion with current on field affairs.
Those gaping holes spoke volumes as they are normally occupied passionate and vocal travelling Kopites but they may prove to be the death knell for Hodgson's Anfield regime. Stumbling around in mid-table at the beginning of January is a rare predicament for Liverpool
Prior to this season, calls for the manager's removal were also unprecedented but the sarcastic chants of 'Hodgson for England' that provided a harrowing soundtrack to the defeat against Wolves were renewed as his side failed to build on a solitary away win all season.
Cries of "Dalglish" thundered like a tidal wave whilst taunts of "you're getting sacked in the morning" were delivered with added ferocity and echoed by their opposite number - signalling a unanimous verdict that, despite several false dawns, Hodgson's time is finally up.
The failure of Blackburn's owners to lure Ronaldinho to Lancashire has done little to win over fans aggrieved by Sam Allardyce's sacking but, equally, Fenway Sports Group's pesistence with Hodgson's ill-fated tenure is in danger of losing them the support of Liverpool fans.
If this proves to be Hodgson's last stand, it is fitting that it occurred on the same ground where he was sacked following a home defeat to Southampton in December 1998. Were Kenny Dalglish - another ex-Rovers boss - to succeed him, even in the interim, it would be a delicious irony.
Although devoid of confidence and ideas, Liverpool enjoyed an opening five-minute spell of a first half that failed to generate incident until the half-hour mark when Joe Cole's gliding cross was almost deflected home by Ryan Nelsen before Mark Bunn provided a fingertip save.
But Blackburn's ability to exploit their visitors' defence was displayed just minutes later when Chris Samba latched on to Mame Biram Diouf's up-field ball before threading it into the path of Martin Olsson, who evaded Liverpool's back line before firing past the advancing Pepe Reina.
The floodgates opened again on 37 minutes as Morten Gamst Pedersen's cross found Benjani, with his back to goal, as Sotirious Kyrgiakos again failed to deal with his man and allowed the striker to turn and blast a half-volley into the roof of the net.
Martin Skrtel and Glen Johnson failed to deal when Junior Hoilett burst down the left-hand side of Liverpool's defence shortly after the break following Gael Givet's pass, allowing Benjani to slot home his second of the night with ease.
Such was the malaise both on and off the pitch that Steven Gerrard's consolation strike nine minutes from time drew little emotion from the stands other than a muted rendition of Anfield's previous rallying cry of "attack, attack, attack!".
Plans for a spirited fightback were scuppered when the Reds captain blazed a curling effort over the crossbar after being hauled over in the penalty area by Michel Salgado. Hodgson stood motionless throughout, seemingly resigned to his fate.
"We are all frustrated and all dejected and we're disappointed for the fans who supported it us all the way through the game," he admitted.
"I can understand how bitterly disappointed they must be while all I can say to them is if they came into our dressing room they would see the same dejection and disappointment."
BLACKBURN (4-4-2): Bunn; Salgado, Samba, Nelsen, Givet, Hoilett, Dunn (Morris 75), Pedersen, Olsson (E Diouf 73); M Diouf, Benjani (Goulon 84). Subs (not used): Fielding, Havley, Linganz, Doran.
Goals: Olsson (31), Benjani (37, 57)
Booked: Dunn (49), Salgado (85)
LIVERPOOL (4-4-2): Reina; Johnson, Skrtel, Kyrgiakos (Agger 51), Konchesky; Cole, Gerrard, Lucas, Maxi (Kuyt 58); Torres, Ngog (Babel 78). Subs (not used): Gulacsi, Jovanovic, Poulsen, Kelly.
Goals: Gerrard (81)
Booked: Lucas (77)
Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands)
Attendance: 24,522
MATCH STATS
Possession: Blackburn 53% Liverpool 47%
Attempts on target: Blackburn 4 Liverpool 9
Attempts off target: Blackburn 6 Liverpool 4
Corners: Blackburn 0 Liverpool 7
Fouls: Blackburn 14 Liverpool 13
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