Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 2:Rafael Benitez talked afterwards about Liverpool needing "to do everything almost perfect" to have a chance of winning the title. It was an assessment that implies there is little margin for error this season, something that also appeared uppermost in Steven Gerrard's mind as he lined up a late free-kick here.
The precise execution seconds later provided a gentle reminder that for all Benitez' summer spending, Liverpool's most valuable asset has not changed.
Gerrard's goal was a moment of extraordinary beauty in a match that Liverpool ought to have secured long before Gareth Barry's late penalty caused Benitez such consternation. Gerrard ensured the Spaniard was wearing a more relaxed expression two minutes later before the Liverpool captain returned to the dressingroom to deliver a speech to his team-mates that accentuated the importance of winning their opening match for the first time since 2002.
The gist of it was expressed by Dirk Kuyt. "Finally we have three points from the first league game," said the Dutchman, who dovetailed impressively with Fernando Torres. "We really wanted to show people we have enough quality to rival the other clubs like Man U, Chelsea and Arsenal. It's very important that you don't lose many points at the start. We have been too far behind in the last few seasons. We had a really good second half last season but that's not good enough if you want to be champions."
Indeed, 10 points from their first seven games in the last three campaigns effectively ended their title hopes. This season portends a more sustained challenge. Benitez enjoys such strength in depth that he could afford to omit Javier Mascherano, Yossi Benayoun and Peter Crouch from his squad here.
"The favourites are Chelsea and United - that's clear," claimed Liverpool's manager. "We finished 21 points behind them, we spent more money so we have improved, but they have spent money so they have improved too. Can we get closer? We would have to do everything almost perfect and we will try to do that. Maybe we will have some chances. I'm not saying we don't want to win or that we won't be under pressure but (United and Chelsea) must be favourites."
The foundations of this win were laid in midfield where Jermaine Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso and John Arne Riise outnumbered and out-thought Villa's central trident. Their dominance turned possession into chances for Torres and Kuyt, with the attacking pair's neat interplay culminating in Martin Laursen putting through his own net.
It was a lead that Gerrard and Ryan Babel twice came close to doubling before Jamie Carragher's handball. Barry, who continued the form that earned an England recall last season, promptly arrowed the penalty high into the top corner. Having struggled to find any fluency and rarely troubling Jose Reina, Villa looked like pilfering a point until the referee Mike Riley deemed the ineffective Stilian Petrov had impeded Gerrard.
Barry said that Petrov had claimed "he got a touch on the ball and it's one of those awkward ones where the referee has looked around and thought: 'I'll give a free-kick.' From then on, Steven Gerrard showed why he is one of the best players in the world."
Barry described the outcome as a "sickener" although, in truth, Villa deserved nothing from 90 minutes that showed any tangible improvement from last season.
