Chelsea 0, Liverpool 1: Now it's time to end another long wait

Thanks to Xabi Alonso's 10th-minute strike, an unbeaten Liverpool sit top of the table this morning on the strength of their best-ever start to a Premier League campaign.

Having been the victim of many a deflected strike at Stamford Bridge in recent years, it was perhaps appropriate that Liverpool's winning goal should come from the help of a fortunate ricochet.

But the bounce off Jose Bosingwa's back that wrong-footed Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech didn't just earn three points, inflict a first defeat on Luiz Felipe Scolari and end the Londoners' home rule.

It gave Liverpool the platform to underline why they mean business this season.

The memory of too many false dawns in those 18 years since their 18th and most recent championship means no-one at Anfield will become carried away by an encouraging opening two months.

But there is an attitude, a determination and a mentality among this Liverpool squad that suggests they are in the title challenge for the long haul.

Results this season have shown they will take some beating, with Benitez's side having now lost just four of their last 48 league games.

Liverpool have dealt with whatever has been thrown at them, may it be a 2-0 half-time setback at Manchester City, a late deficit against Wigan Athletic or, as yesterday, preventing a free-scoring Chelsea from scoring in a league game for the first time since their last visit to Stamford Bridge in February.

Now Benitez will discover how his players cope with the unchartered territory of leading from the front.

Certainly, after following last month's defeat of Manchester United with a frustrating goalless home draw with Stoke City, previous mistakes cannot be repeated when a potentially managerless Portsmouth visit on Wednesday.

Neither Fernando Torres nor Didier Drogba, the respective star strikers of the Premier League's top two, were available yesterday. But it was Liverpool that managed the situation better to demonstrate, as against United, they can defeat their main rivals without the Spaniard.

Such victories have proven few and far between under Benitez, a shortcoming the manager accepts has hamstrung his team's domestic efforts under his tutelage.

Yet just nine games in, last season's top two having already been vanquished.

Liverpool were excellent. From a patently unfit Robbie Keane, who played through the pain barrier for the first hour, through to the steadfast defending of Jamie Carragher, Benitez's side demonstrated the qualities required to win at such difficult venues.

Carragher was the game's stellar performer, a display epitomised by a magnificent sliding challenge to block a near-post Deco effort as Chelsea pressed for the equaliser.

With Daniel Agger also returning to top form in a back four superbly protected by the non-stop Javier Mascherano, Pepe Reina hardly had a save to make.

In midfield, Alonso oozed class and composure while Steven Gerrard, operating behind Keane, was an omnipresent danger throughout.

Albert Riera, too, deserves a special mention for a sterling shift, particularly in the first half when his forceful wing play pressed Bosingwa back into largely defensive duties.

Benitez had warned his players that Chelsea would not be as accommodating as the likes of Wigan and Manchester City if there was any repeat of the slow starts that had become an unwanted feature of Liverpool's campaign.

The early goal at Atletico Madrid in midweek suggested they had learned their lesson, and yesterday they took even less time to forge ahead.

A throw on the right by Alvaro Arbeloa was headed on by Kuyt into the danger zone and only half-cleared by John Terry. The ball eventually dropped to Alonso who, loitering on the edge of the area, struck a left-foot shot that, while goalbound, required a deflection off Bosingwa to defeat Cech.

Only a fine tip over the bar by the Chelsea goalkeeper from Gerrard's dipping 25-yard drive saved the home side from going further behind by the interval.

On the one occasion Chelsea did break through the centre of the Liverpool defence on the quarter-hour, Salomon Kalou hit a tame shot straight at a grateful Pepe Reina.

With the home crowd growing restless and resorting to distasteful Heysel and Hillsborough songs, Chelsea were indebted to a poor decision from Webb to avoid possibly conceding again seven minutes before the interval.

As Liverpool resisted another bout of home pressure, Gerrard won a crunching 50-50 challenge on Bosingwa to give Kuyt the chance to send Keane free on goal.

However, as the Chelsea man flailed theatrically on the turf, Webb wrongly penalised Gerrard and then added insult to injury by brandishing a yellow card.

If Alonso was lucky with his goal, then he was just as unlucky in the 62nd minute when his brilliantly struck free-kick from 30 yards smacked against the base of the post and back into play. Cech was motionless.

Chelsea finally fashioned a decent opening with 17 minutes remaining when Frank Lampard's lobbed cross was headed down by substitute Franco di Santo but an unattended Ashley Cole volleyed a difficult chance over from 10 yards.

Ryan Babel, on for the exhausted Keane, successfully busied the Chelsea centre-backs and ensured the game remained stretched, and almost had a goal of his own on 77 minutes with a rasping right-foot drive that fizzed wide from 25 yards.

And with Liverpool maintaining their tight grip on proceedings, Chelsea never seriously threatened the equaliser to tamely surrendered their long unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge.

Title talk will surely remain off limits at Anfield, but Benitez's side have shown they have the stomach for the fight and quality to take on and beat anyone in the Premier League.

And at least people can now stop talking about Bruno Cheyrou.