Match official Rob Styles waved away the Black Cats’ claims when Jamie Carragher blocked Daryl Murphy’s cross with his arm, but pointed to the spot when Jermaine Pennant went down under Nyron Nosworthy’s late challenge.

Whitehead said: “The penalty the ref gave was easy for him in front of the Kop.

“I don’t know if Nyron got the ball cleanly, but it didn’t look a clear penalty. The home side went up for it and that might have influenced the decision.

“We had a couple of shouts for a penalty and if they were Liverpool appeals, I think they would have been given.

“It is easy for the referee not to give the decision to an away side at Anfield. You just want consistency in the decisions because they are very big decisions for a club in our position.

“It’s impossible to tell if it changed the outcome, but you look back on these things and feel hard done by.”

Sunderland have not enjoyed the best of fortunes at the hands of Mr Styles so far this season.

It was he who harshly awarded a penalty against Danny Higginbotham at Blackburn for handball on January 2, a game during which he also sent off Dwight Yorke, and he also dismissed Paul McShane at Arsenal earlier in the campaign.

However, Whitehead’s frustration this time around was compounded by another blank day on the road for the Wearsiders.

Peter Crouch started the ball rolling with a 57th-minute header, and Fernando Torres gave the Reds breathing space 12 minutes later before Steven Gerrard beat Craig Gordon, if only just, from the spot at the death.

Sunderland have now taken just two points from a possible 39 on their travels this season, and that return has piled the pressure on them to make the most of their home games.

Saturday’s visit of fellow strugglers Wigan to the Stadium of Light represents another huge game for Roy Keane’s men, who will hope to gain revenge for their 3-0 home defeat by Steve Bruce’s side in the FA Cup third round last month.

Whitehead told the Sunderland Echo: “The away results are still a big disappointment, but we will not let the Liverpool game affect us.

“We are in good form at home and we are confident of getting a big result against Wigan. We will bounce back and be ready for Saturday.”

The Black Cats could be boosted by the return of Dickson Etuhu, who is heading back to the north-east following Nigeria’s quarter-final exit from the African Nations Cup last night.

Ten-man Ghana beat the Nigerians 2-1 after coming from behind with Nottingham Forest striker Junior Agogo sending the hosts through after Chelsea’s Michael Essien had cancelled out Everton frontman Ayegbeni Yakubu’s opener.