After the stormy events of the club's AGM on Monday night, this was a game in which Gerard Houllier desperately needed his players to come through for him, and come through they did. With flying colours in fact.
It wasn't pretty, but it sure was effective, and although Chelsea will feel they merited something from the game, Liverpool's players will see this as a thoroughly deserved three points, as man for man they worked like Trojans.
Houllier took a massive, massive gamble with his team selection, bringing E*ile H*skey, Djimi Traore and Bruno Cheyrou into the starting line up, and had the result gone against us then the abuse would have been raining down on the Liverpool manager from all sides.
But all three more than justified their selection, as Cheyrou and H*skey combined to produce the winning goal and, for me at least, Traore was man of the match. I'd have been tearing Houllier to shreds if his selection had backfired, so it's only right that I give him credit now. Tactically, Houllier got it spot on tonight.
I'm writing this report based on watching the game on TV. I didn't go the game, and neither did any of TLW's other reporters. There was a boycott of this game by many reds due to Chelsea's extortionate ticket prices, but those who did go will have come away well satisfied having seen Liverpool's first win at the Bridge since the Premiership began.
The last time we won there we won the title. That won't be happening this season, but the win does increase the chances of finishing fourth, especially with the likes of Fulham, Southampton, Charlton and Birmingham all dropping points. It's a sad reflection of how far we've fallen that we're left looking at the results of those teams when we should be looking at Arsenal and the mancs, but now isn't the time to be getting into all that.
This was a massive win under the circumstances. No Owen, no Gerrard, yet we went to Chelsea and won. In some ways the absence of those two may have actually helped. That sounds crazy, but this win was based on hard work, discipline and solidity. Our approach was ultra defensive, but considering the opposition and the absence of our two best players that was understandable.
Had Owen and Gerrard been available then we may have gone into the game with different tactics. We may have been a bit more adventurous, and it could have cost us. Of course, on the other hand we may have gone after Chelsea and won by more goals, who knows.
The point is, on paper that team looked weak, and Houllier must have known that. So he sent them out to keep it tight, work their socks off and hope to get something on the break, and that's precisely what happened.
When I saw that starting line up I couldn't believe it, and I know I won't have been the only one. My initial thought was "He really does want to get sacked." But the players stuck to the gameplan and their hard work was rewarded.
The winning goal was an absolute beauty, and a great example of hitting on the break. Both of Chelsea's fullbacks were in advanced positions when the ball was knocked long towards H*skey. The forward was not favourite to win it, as he had both Gallas and Terry to contend with, and both looked to be in better position than he was.
But as they hesitated, H*skey made it his and chested the ball to Cheyrou before spinning off into the inside right channel. Bruno laid the ball into the space first time before sprinting forward into the box. The cross needed to be inch perfect and it was. A bit further forward and Cudicini would have had an easy interception. Further back and Terry would have cut it out, but the ball from E*ile was wonderful, as was the first time finish from Cheyrou.
Earlier in the season when Traore scored in Bucharest, I couldn't believe it and just kept laughing whenever I thought about it. I'm the same now. Having watched Bruno miss chances like that on a regular basis for the reserves, it's hard to take in that he put this one away in such a massive game. But good luck to him.
Cheyrou has done nothing right since he's been at the club. He's had a miserable time and his confidence must have all but disappeared. The lad obviously must have something as he was a class act in France and has been capped by his country. It's easy to make excuses about the pace of the Premiership and all that, but that argument goes out the window when you see him struggle at reserve level. It has to be about confidence, and maybe this will do him some good.
Other than the goal he did very little, but then who cares. Kewell was anonymous too, as were Diouf and Murphy, although all three, just like Cheyrou, worked hard for the team. There is not one player who can't hold his head up after this, which has not always been the case this season - a point which Steven Gerrard made in the Sky Sports studio after the game.
Stevie's comments were very honest and made a lot of sense. Take his views on H*skey for example: "When he's up for it before a game he's unplayable. I'm always encouraging him because I know what he can do. If E*mile H*skey had played like that all season we'd be up there with the top three."
Couldn't agree more. The reason I've got such animosity towards our number eight is not because I think he's shit, as many of his critics do. It's because I know he is not. He could be a world beater, but just doesn't have the desire.
That passion was there tonight, but then it generally is against Chelsea. They're the one team who can ignite the fire in his belly and get him to show some fight. He's usually in a running battle with Desailly, but tonight it was Gallas. When he kicked Gallas up the arse by the touchline, I was made up. It's nice to see him finally show some aggression. It could have cost him a red card, but at least he wasn't backing down and hobbling off like he usually does.
The fact that Baros is close to a return and that it's an open secret that Djibil Cisse is on his way here in the summer may also have played a part in his sudden change of attitude, but he needs to keep this going and not do his usual trick of thinking "oh well, that'll keep them quiet for a few weeks" and then revert to the workshy, hobbling waste of space we've seen for most of the last two years or so.
Tonight's display was enough to get me to remove most of the '*'s from his name, but he needs to do it more consistently before the TLW ban on his name is lifted completely.
Sky gave him man of the match, and I don't begrudge him that at all, even though he wasn't my choice. For me it was Traore. Like H*skey, he another of the much maligned players in the squad, but he was impeccable tonight, be it against Geremi, Johnson or Gronkjaer. None got the better of the long legged Frenchman.
Biscan is another of the players who comes in for regular stick, but once again he had an excellent game. Igor has had a good season, and I fear some are still judging him on what they've seen in previous years (often on the wing!) rather than on this season's displays. I have to admit I'm still not 100% confident in him and think he's been lucky with a few blunders which could have proved costly but haven't, but by and large he's done well and is improving all the time.
Whether he should be in the side ahead of Henchoz is another matter, but it's probably his extra pace which is keeping him in there. Personally I'd still go with Steph, but I do think Igor is not getting the credit he deserves.
Hamann was also exceptional, but that's Didi and we've come to expect that. I've never seen a player who cuts out so many passes and makes so many interventions. His positional play is second to none.
For all Chelsea's possession, they created little. In the first half Gudjohnsen volleyed wide after a great ball by Cole (who was mysteriiously subbed when they were chasing the game), and in the second period the snidy Mutu hit the bar with a header froma corner. Other than that there wasn't too much danger, aside from a penalty shout against Sami when he climbed all over Mutu.
I thought it was 50/50, and if it had been at the other end I would have been screaming for a pen. In fact, I was in the first half when Gallas hauled down H*skey off the ball. The ref gave the decision against the Liverpool man though, so had he awarded a pen against Sami later on he'd have been well out of order.
The game ended on a sour note with the sending off of Diouf and the injury to Dudek. I thought Luzi did ok when he came on. He was nowhere when Mutu hit the bar, but then produced an excellent stop at the feet of the same player. He didn't look particularly nervous, and if he plays on saturday hopefully he'll do ok.
Diouf's sending off was scandalous. The first booking was a complete accident, and the second? Well what the hell can he do when a player stands on his foot and gets his studs tangled in Dioufy's boot laces? Appeals against two yellows are not allowed, but if the referee looks at it then he should be man enough to admit he got it wrong big time.
Despite the harsh nature of the decision, my sympathy for Diouf is in very short supply. Against Yeovil he was an embarrassment with his diving, and tonight he made a right meal out of a nothing incident with John Terry. What goes around comes around, if you live by the sword and all that....
Houllier's ever dwindling army of backers will point to this as reason why he should stay on. My view is that this proves nothing. We KNOW that we have a team that can go to difficult places and dig in and get results. That has never been in question. Our problems come when we have to try and do more than just stifle.
I'm not trying to denegrate this perfomance in any way, but in ninety minutes we had one chance. Granted, Chelsea didn't create too much themselves, but how many times have teams done to us at Anfield exactly what we did to Chelsea? Not so much this season, as the teams who have won in L4 have generally created plenty of chances, but there were several smash and grab raids last season.
This performance was very much a throwback to the treble season, and hopefully it will inspire some much needed confidence in the side. But as I've said, we are more than capable of performances like this. It suits us when we are being written off and go and play a top side with no expectation on us to get anything.
When we can just go and play defensively Houllier is in his element. He can send out a side to destroy, in fact he does it as well as anybody. It's when he has to send one out to create that he comes unstuck. But that's for another day. Tonight we can just enjoy a well earned victory.
