Dirk doubles sinks Wigan
Liverpool maintained their unbeaten home league record in 2008 with a stunning 3-2 comeback victory, but how Wigan made them fight.
The Anfield men are specialising in dramatic comebacks, and after Chelsea's 5-0 win at Middlesbrough earlier in the day, they knew they could not afford to slip-up.
But they were twice behind to first-half goals from Egyptian striker Amr Zaki, his second an acrobatic volley into the Kop end.
Dirk Kuyt's first equaliser kept Liverpool in the game and they fought their way back to win 3-2, just as they had at Manchester City a fortnight ago.
Wigan battled for everything and the game turned on a red card for Antonio Valencia with 16 minutes left.
The Latics were down to 10 men and Liverpool powered forward, with Albert Riera grabbing the equaliser and Kuyt, with a slightly less clean version of Zaki's volley, secured maximum points for Rafael Benitez's side.
Liverpool were forced into four changes from the side which claimed a late fightback at Eastlands a fortnight ago with Daniel Agger, Robbie Keane, Andrea Dossena and Jermaine Pennant all coming in.
Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano, Martin Skrtel and Fabio Aurelio were all out.
Emile Heskey, who revealed earlier in the week that a return to Liverpool would be "lovely'' was missing for Wigan with a hamstring strain, so Dutchman Daniel de Ridder came in.
Tackles flew in, there was pace and desire from Wigan and they had the bulk of the early possession.
Zaki gave Agger and Jamie Carragher plenty to think about, and the collision between Lee Cattermole and Steven Gerrard in midfield was uncompromising.
Jose Reina needed to be at his best when he had to beat away a drive from Olivier Kapo after a clever pass from Wilson Palacios had put him through on the left of the box.
Liverpool had not really threatened to this point, but almost scored when Riera's ball put Keane in on the left after 28 minutes.
He was forced a yard wider than he would have liked, and saw his angled right-foot shot just clear the far post.
Then within a minute, Wigan were ahead after a terrible mistake from Agger.
Reina tapped a routine pass out to the Dane, who was far too casual. He allowed the ball to bounce away from him enough for Zaki to pounce, win the tackle, and stride into the box to beat Reina with a shot into the bottom corner.
Agger knew he had to do something after that howler and atoned after 37 minutes when he came out of defence down the left before exchanging passes with Dossena.
He then went past Cattermole in the box before crossing for Kuyt to fire in the equaliser, his first home league goal since scoring against the same opposition in April.
Kuyt then hit the crossbar and Riera's towering header cleared the top of bar.
But Zaki had the final word of the half with a stunning scissors-kick from a Valencia cross which flew past Reina for a sensational goal.
Liverpool went searching for a second equaliser straight from the restart and it took a fine save from former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland after 57 minutes to keep Wigan ahead. Pennant jumped over Keane's low cross from the left, and Kuyt's instant shot was blocked by Kirkland's left leg.
Riera almost set up Keane in the six-yard box before Gerrard lashed a 30-yard shot wide.
Liverpool were now gambling by throwing men forward, risking more danger from the robust, physical Zaki, who was more than happy to take on Carragher at every opportunity.
Gerrard side-footed a free-kick wide after a Wigan wall had failed to retreat far enough, and Valencia was booked.
Wigan were furious because they believed that Xabi Alonso's touch sideways of about a yard meant the kick had been taken.
But worse was to follow for Valencia. Soon after he was in trouble again for a foul on Alonso, and referee Alan Wiley showed a yellow and then a red card to the Wigan man.
That just inspired Liverpool to launch a new wave of attacks, and when substitute Nabil El Zhar crossed from the right after 79 minutes, Riera lashed home his first goal for the club. Wigan deserved more, but with five minutes to go, Pennant crossed from the right and Kuyt hooked the ball down into the turf and up to clear Kirkland's stretching fingers.
Valencia was sent off playing for Ecuador last weekend, and with 16 minutes to go at Anfield saw red again, this time with Wigan 2-1 ahead. But Bruce said: "In my opinion we were robbed. It is a joke that we have not come away from this match with something.
"The referee got the first booking for Valencia wrong. The Liverpool player took the kick, and Valencia did not encroach towards it until the ball had been kicked. So he got that one wrong.
"Then there is the tackle on Alonso, in which I felt the lad touched the ball. I felt that was harsh. Those decisions changed the whole course of the game. With 11 against 11 we would not have lost. But there were a lot of tired bodies out there and we could not hold out.
"When you are at Anfield you need some things to go for you. I keep hearing the word 'respect' but I did not think we got that from the referee's performance today.''
Bruce added: "We were ahead at the break and deserved it. It was not a fluke, we had taken them on and Zaki was outstanding. He is scary to play against and he will not understand how he can be on the losing side after a performance like that.''
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez saw his side maintain their unbeaten record this season, and stay in second place on goal difference from Chelsea.
He said: "We started badly, but Dirk Kuyt did us proud in this game. The whole side showed great character to come back like that again. We did something similar at Manchester City a fortnight ago, and maybe I would like a calmer time on the bench.
"You will have to ask my doctor how much of this I can take. It would be nice to have three or four goals at the break for a change. But I felt we won it because we have belief in ourselves, and believe that we can win these games. It is a positive situation for us that we have this level of confidence.''
