Jamie Carragher believes Cristiano Ronaldo and Sir Alex Ferguson were the only reason Manchester United pipped Liverpool to the 2009 Premier League title.
United claimed their third-consecutive league title by four points, despite the fact Rafa Benitez's side had only lost twice all season.
Liverpool even beat Manchester United 4-1 at Old Trafford but were unable to secure the league title.
On the 10th anniversary of Benitez's departure from Liverpool, Carragher believes that his 2009 team were only bested by United because of Ronaldo.
"I know a lot has been made of Liverpool going through this season only losing one game which is unbelievable, but we had a season where we only lost two and never won the league to Gary [Neville]'s United team," Carragher told The Football Show.
"I think the difference that stopped Rafa winning the league was [Cristiano] Ronaldo to be honest. Both teams were matched really well, but they just had the best player probably in the world at that time, just behind [Lionel] Messi.
"That was tough for our team and tough for Rafa Benitez but sometimes as a manager, you have to be in the right place at the right time.
"It's not just your team but the opposition. You're coming up against the great Man Utd team, Alex Ferguson one of the greatest managers of all time, it wasn't easy."
On Benitez's time in charge, he said: "Rafa built a team from the back and it was solid.
"But there's no doubt he was more of a cautious manager, the complete opposite of Sir Alex Ferguson, very much in the mould of Jose Mourinho and he's won plenty of Premier League titles, so I'm not sure it's just down to the style of play.
"But I just think when we eventually got the players that he wanted in terms of [Fernando] Torres comes in, pushes Stevie [Gerrard] further forward, then you've really got world-class at the top end of the pitch, it was a great balance.
"And that team he had in 2009 when you [United] just pipped us for the title, I don't think that team was a defensive team by any means."
