Rafael Benitez will believe his management style was vindicated by what was for most of the game a hugely improved Liverpool display, as they beat Aston Villa 3-1.
After the horror defeat at Old Trafford and the shock of reading of a boardroom split over his methods, the Liverpool boss needed a confidence-boosting victory.
And it came with an excellent first-half display that saw Dirk Kuyt, Peter Crouch and Luis Garcia put Liverpool into a seemingly unassailable lead.
But this side hauled back to respectability by Martin O'Neill are made of stronger stuff than the shambolic one seen last term under David O'Leary.
O'Neill's half-time substitutions and a quick goal from Gabriel Agbonlahor saw belief and confidence return to the Villa ranks and they gave Liverpool a very uncomfortable second period.
But in the end they could not avoid their first defeat of the season, which allowed Liverpool to erase from their collective memory a week of soul searching and blame.
Kuyt had shaken off a calf injury, which meant Robbie Fowler was on the bench. For Villa, Gavin McCann was still out injured while Thomas Sorensen returned after a shoulder problem.
The Kop left no one in any doubt about their support for Benitez, greeting his appearance on the line with a barrage of support that spread right around the ground, the coach responding with a wave.
His team, too, needed to be as supportive as the fans, but they were initially confronted with a fiercely competitive Villa, who pressed deep into the Liverpool half and looked as organised as you would expect from an O'Neill team.
Gerrard, interestingly, was swift to move in from the right, and Liverpool were as sharp this week as they were lethargic at Old Trafford.
Liverpool played quick mobile football with John Arne Riise overlapping on the left more than he has done for weeks. One cross touched down by Crouch, was scooped off Kuyt's toes by Sorensen.
From Gerrard's corner, Crouch headed strongly down, and up over the bar from eight yards. Villa's defence was surviving the flow towards them, until Olof Mellberg's pointless tug on Mohamed Sissoko's shirt 40 yards out which cost him a booking on 30 minutes.
Villa were static where previously they had been quick to cover. And they were over-run. From the free kick the ball was worked back to Jamie Carragher, who launched a high ball into the box for Crouch to nod down for Kuyt to take on his chest before cracking a fine angled drive from 18 yards into the far bottom corner.
Crouch, twice more, saw half chances go begging as Liverpool went for their second. But the big striker made up for those misses with a fine goal on 38 minutes.
Steve Finnan's low cross came in from the right and Crouch met the ball 12 yards out and saw a hooked effort bounce away from Sorensen's dive to his left.
And on 43 minutes it was three with a stunning team goal. Gerrard surged from midfield, found Crouch who shifted the ball into Luis Garcia's path for the little Spaniard to coolly lift beyond Sorensen.
O'Neill responded to indifference from his strikers Milan Baros and Juan Pablo Angel, by replacing both at the break. On came Chris Sutton and Didier Agathe, with Agbonlahor moving to a central attacking role.
They were smart substitutions because it helped shut down the avenue Riise had been using, and gave Sami Hyypia something to think about with Sutton around.
And Villa got on the score sheet on 56 minutes when Sutton's pass set up Agbonlahor to beat Jose Reina from 10 yards.
Kuyt, Alonso, Riise and Hyypia all had chances but by now there was a nagging doubt that things could go wrong for Liverpool.
They worsened when Luis Garcia was put in by Gerrard, and managed to flick his shot wide of the far post.
Villa sensed a miracle recovery and almost scored again on 71 minutes when Stiliyan Petrov's corner was met by Sutton with a near post header, but Reina produced a stunning save to his right.
Steven Davies came on for Osbourne on 74 minutes, and within seconds Liverpool responded by withdrawing Crouch and sending on Jermaine Pennant. Then Bolo Zenden came on for Luis Garcia, Gerrard pushed into a support striker role.
Benitez was planning now to send on Fowler, but his choice of withdrawals was probably changed when Gerrard stormed down the left and fired in a cross before crashing into the barriers in front of the Kop. He was on his feet after treatment, but taken off to allow Fowler on.
There was still time for more Villa pressure, and it was a relief for Anfield's hordes when referee Steve Bennett finally blew the whistle.
