Victory was expected against PSV Eindhoven yet the manner and ease with which it came was surprising. In what Benitez rightly termed as an 'almost perfect night', the only disappointment was letting PSV in with that late goal. Otherwise, there was Keane's first goal and Gerrard's hundredth one meaning that both players will be able to go into the next game without the pressure brought about by the wait for a goal.

As for PSV, they were disappointing with the exception of Amrabat who looks quite a player.

Good Game
Pepe Reina was hardly troubled all evening yet he handled anything that came his way with ease. If he can stay free from injury, Fabio Aurelio will be Liverpool's regular left-back this season, a belief confirmed by another excellent game yesterday. The same (apart from staying fit bit) applies to Alvaro Arbeloa who is growing game by game and who is pressinf forward more with each game.

In the centre of defence it was the usual reliable stuff by Jamie Carragher and Martin Skrtel. It was telling to see Carragher's reaction after Liverpool suffered the goal and his anger at the midfielders for letting not cutting out the cross. It is such instances and eagerness for perfection that marks him out as such a special player.

Midfield was totally dominated by Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard. It says something that Liverpool have been coping so easily without a player of Javier Mascherano's quality and Gerrard was, in particular, great against PSV. My man of the match.

Albert Riera was perhaps the only player who didn't look up to it yesterday yet, even so, he had a decent game and adds quality on the right. For once, Dirk Kuyt managed to ally his work-rate with a goal, something that Fernando Torres can't claim this evening. Even so he set up Robbie Keane for his goal which will hopefully be the first of many.

Bad Game
For the first time since I've been doing this feature, there wasn't a player who I could say had a bad game.

Substitutes
The most notable of Liverpool's three substitutes was Lucas Leiva who almost scored a goal late on. Otherwise, neither Yossi Benayoun nor Ryan Babbel did anything of particular note.