IT'S ON!

The most pleasing feature about the Chelsea game was that we were never hanging on, or packing 11 men behind the ball to stumble to a win or draw.
Bar a worrying 20 minute period in the first half, we more than matched them in the second 45, and if any team was likely to score it was us.
The commitment to the cause brought a shiver down the spine.
I recall one 60 yard sprint from Mascherano in the second half during a threatening Chelsea attack which led to him wrestling back control of the ball.
It was heady. It's a scary sight seeing the Argentinian bomb at full pelt.
Equally heroic was Carragher's monumental block in the second half when Arbeloa had been beaten by their left winger.
Hats off to Carragher. There were whispers he may struggle this season after last year's penalty blunders, and a possible lack of pace.
But the most popular at Anfield by a country mile has been magnificent so far this season. Deserved his Man of the Match in the ECHO.

How pleasing is it to wax lyrical about every single player?
Onto Alonso, the Spaniard has shrugged aside suggestions of his departure to turn in a string of exemplary performances.
He was only just Carra in the MOTM stakes and his probing passing, forward instead of sideways these days, was a joy.
And he was in the position every Red wants him to be on the edge of the box when the goal came.
Granted we got a deflection for the winner, but Chelsea have had a monopoly on the luck in recent years.
Remember the spawny Joe Cole winner at Anfield? Malouda's pathetic dive, and equally pathetic refereeing decision to give them a barely warrnated 1-1 last year at Anfield?
We deserved that stroke of fortune.
I also loved Alonso's crunching tackle on Lampard (pay back for Lamps ankle breaker on Xabi a few years back), which seemed a fair challenge.
Similarly, Reds spat with disgust at Howard Webb's ridiculous yellow card for Gerrard for his magnificent challenge on Bosingwa.
The Portuguese's theatrics swayed Webb's caution of Gerrard. Let's hope that gets rescinded. Are we playing a non-contact game now Webb?

Let's have a word about Riera. What a revelation this bloke is turning out to be.
He plays in a strange kind of way as he doesn't have the most pace in the world.
But the Spaniard seems game for a scrap and has a great ability to shield a ball, roll a defender at close quarters and trick his way past a defender.
It's an overused word, but Liverpool now have balance.
Riera fires a devlish low cross into the box, wins a lot of free kicks and the passion etched on his face during the last few matches shows he's already well indoctrinated in the Liverpool way of thinking.
This is looking like one of Rafa's shrewdest buys.

Kuyt continued to impress and the passing patterns created by him, Gerrard, Xabi and Albert almost cut Chelsea open on a few occasions.
One in particular, with Babel inches away from collecting Gerrard's ball, would have been a contender for goal of the season had it come off.
From the villain of the Kop, the Dutchman (Kuyt) has bcome undroppable.

This was a real statement of intent by Liverpool. In recent years, we've come to The Bridge for a draw and been sunk after the first goal has gone in.
No such thoughts here. We were continued to press in the second half and with Babel's fizzer and Alonso's brilliant free kick which smacked the post, we came closer than them to providing more goals.
Other than a bad miss from the always delightful Ashley Cole (lucky to stay on the pitch) they were kept at arms length by the stand-out Carragher, Agger, Arbeloa and Aurelio.

It was a fantastic team performance, the sort that warms the cockles of your heart. To see Belletti booming a 35 yarder into the crowd with just a minute to go showed that the billionaire machine had patently run out of ideas.
The Sky boys had it right, particular Hoddle in calling Liverpool the worthy winners. Mark Bright on MOTD 2 hardly thouht we deserved special mention.
I'd think I respect the opinion of a heralded midfield England maestro to a journeyman Crystal Palace centre forward.
Brighty was suitably chastised by a crowing Alan Hansen.

Let's not get too ahead of ourselves, but there's a different mood and confidence at Anfield this season.
Now, it's onto Portsmouth on Wednesday. Victory at Chelsea counts for naught if we don't get maximum points in two days time.
It's the biggest cliche in footie, but it's every game as it comes. Let's make Anfield the cauldron it should be.
Blow these teams off the park from the terraces. I don't think anybody would excuse a Titus Bramble last-minute equaliser at the Anfield Road end any more.