Fernando Torres became the first Liverpool player to score in seven consecutive home league games as Rafael Benitez's side easily overcame Blackburn Rovers.
Torres scored his 30th goal of the campaign in his debut season at Anfield and was joined on the scoresheet by Steven Gerrard - with his 21st of the season - and Andriy Voronin.
Roque Santa Cruz scored a late consolation for Rovers.
In a week that started with Liverpool's dramatic progress into the Champions League semi-finals, and ended with more trouble in the boardroom, it was football that eventually took centre stage.
Liverpool have now moved five points clear of Everton in fourth place, and with just four games left they will now be firm favourites for a place in next season's Champions League.
Rovers did well to keep Liverpool quiet for an hour, but once Gerrard had scored a fine goal, there was no way back for Mark Hughes' side.
Liverpool made three changes from the side that beat Arsenal on Tuesday, with Alvaro Arbeloa, Lucas and Ryan Babel all in the starting line-up.
Javier Mascherano completed his three-game suspension, while Sami Hyypia and John Arne Riise were on the bench.
Blackburn, who have a more than decent recent record against Liverpool, left out Andre Ooijer and restored Brett Emerton to defence.
After the excitement and pure theatre of the Champions League, Liverpool needed to get back to basics to maintain their grip on fourth spot.
But not surprisingly, Anfield on a grey, wet Sunday lunchtime did not quite possess the atmosphere of a red-hot European night.
After the minute's silence for the 19th anniversary - on Tuesday - of the Hillsborough tragedy, the game started very low key.
The first chance came after nine minutes when Gerrard, playing his 300th league game for the club, saw a whipped in cross flicked narrowly wide by Torres.
A fine challenge by ex-Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock then stopped Torres in full flow.
Soon after Gerrard managed to upset referee Alan Wiley when he went down far too easily as Rovers goalkeeper Brad Friedel came out to meet him on the left of the box.
The Staffordshire official was rightly quick to warn the Liverpool skipper, who escaped a yellow card.
Wiley ignored far more obvious claims for a free-kick when Christopher Samba bundled Gerrard over on the edge of the box.
And when Torres and Dirk Kuyt combined to set-up Gerrard for a 20-yard shot that looked to be deflected wide the official gave a goal-kick, much to the growing anger of the home crowd.
Kuyt then saw a 25-yard shot held by Friedel before the Dutch forward headed just wide from a Gerrard free-kick.
Warnock received a tremendous reception from the Kop at the start of the second-half, the young full-back having played 67 games for Liverpool before moving to Ewood Park 15 months ago.
Morten Gamst Pedersen saw two free-kicks saved by Jose Reina before Lucas, at the other end, fired wide.
After 59 minutes, Benitez introduced Yossi Benayoun in place of Babel and his energy was instrumental in the early build-up to a fine Gerrard goal on the hour.
Benayoun won possession and fed Lucas, the Brazilian exchanging passes with Gerrard before the Liverpool skipper cut into the box and side-footed the ball past Friedel.
Roberts appealed for a penalty in the 71st minute after a clash with Martin Skrtel, replays suggesting he was more sinner than sinned against.
But when the same pair clashed again a minute later, Skrtel was booked.
Rovers, who sent on Benni McCarthy for Pedersen a minute later, were far from out of it and David Bentley sent a 25-yard free-kick just wide.
But Liverpool went further ahead after 82 minutes.
Lucas won possession and fed Gerrard on the right. When his cross curled into the box, Torres was there to head past Friedel.
Gerrard was denied another penalty by the official as he fell under a Samba challenge, before Torres was spared any further involvement, allowing Voronin a late run-out.
And in the final minute Voronin slid home the third from substitute John Arne Riise's low cross.
In injury-time Santa Cruz fired home after a poor header from Skrtel, but by then the points had been well won by Liverpool.
