Robbie Fowler dragged a long-ranger narrowly wide of the right post before, with the game still only 16 minutes old, Steven Gerrard nearly ripped the net out of the goal at the Anfield Road end.
Controlling Fowler’s lay-off fully 30 yards from the target, Gerrard unleashed a beautiful and pure strike that soared and swirled past a helpless Fabian Barthez and into the top left corner.
“Not for the first time, and probably not the last, Gerrard was the driving influence of this Liverpool triumph, an indomitable presence on the right of midfield,” wrote The Guardian.
“His 16th-minute haymaker, a sure-fire contender for Goal of the Season, was an object lesson how to strike a long shot.”
Patrik Berger and Emile Heskey were whiskers the wrong side of the same right-hand post as the Reds continued to purr in search of a second.
They got it when Scouse pair Fowler and Gerrard reversed roles from the opening goal to double the home team’s lead ahead of the interval.
Gerrard swapped power for skill with a lofted pass that landed sweetly to the right side of goal for Fowler as visiting defender Gary Neville stumbled.
‘God’ brought the ball under his spell and clinically lashed a half-volleyed finish past Barthez. Two-nil.
“Liverpool were looking so dangerous, so in control, it was tempting to believe it was all a trick of the mind,” continued that Guardian report.
