Steven Gerrard feels Liverpool's 2-1 win at Middlesbrough was a sure sign that they are now ready to challenge for the Premier League.
Four minutes into injury-time, Gerrard's blistering 18-yarder secured a victory that had been the unlikeliest outcome as Middlesbrough deservedly led from midway in the second period.
Last season Liverpool finished 11 points behind champions Manchester United, who dropped only five home points. Rafael Benitez's side squandered 15 at home from six draws and one defeat.
It has been a blot on the Anfield landscape which has nagged away at the manager, players and fans all summer.
Benitez has persistently claimed that Liverpool's shocking home form last season cost them any hope of a serious title challenge.
So it needed the massive efforts of Gerrard, and his home-grown team-mate Jamie Carragher, whose 86th-minute shot deflected in off Boro defender Emanuel Pogatetz, to drag a 2-1 victory from the jaws of defeat.
Gerrard said: "You could tell how much our winner meant to the fans, the roof came off when my goal went in.
"Everyone knows that these are the games we have to win if we are going to mount a serious title challenge. Too many home points were squandered last season."
In a week which has seen 'peace in our time' statements from both Benitez and chief executive Rick Parry after a summer of acrimony between the pair, it was good to see Benitez and his captain also singing from the same hymn sheet as well.
Benitez said: "Maybe our fans were thinking of what happened last season, when we drew too many games at home.
"But this time we have sent out a message that we can produce results like this.
"Last season we had some bad home results. But this time around we have tried very hard to be positive and to make sure such things do not happen again. This win shows we can do it."
Gareth Southgate's organised, effective side had deservedly led with 20 minutes to go through a fine drive from substitute Mido.
But Carragher's deflected drive beat goalkeeper Ross Turnbull - a last minute inclusion when Brad Jones dislocated a finger in the warm-up - then Gerrard got the winner.
In a week where England manager Fabio Capello criticised Gerrard's lack of fitness, the player said: "I've had problems with my groin throughout pre-season, and things have not gone the way I wanted them to.
"I have missed a lot of training and I am a couple of weeks behind the other lads when it comes to match fitness.
"The only way I am going to get that edge again is to get out on the pitch and play.
"I am not at my best at the moment, but I hope the fans will be patient because I am only three weeks away from my best form and fitness."
Benitez explained: "Gerrard has quality, he can score the sort of goal he got. He has that ability right at the death, he has done it before and he will continue to have the mentality to win games at the end.
"We sent a lot of players forward, the idea was to have many people around their box. It does leave us open to a counter-attack, but it is a gamble we will take.
"We know we did not play well. But you have to win games like this if you want to be contenders for the title. It is a message for everyone for the rest of the season.
"Last season we would probably have lost or drawn. But now we have different qualities and we have many options.
Four minutes into injury-time, Gerrard's blistering 18-yarder secured a victory that had been the unlikeliest outcome as Middlesbrough deservedly led from midway in the second period.
Last season Liverpool finished 11 points behind champions Manchester United, who dropped only five home points. Rafael Benitez's side squandered 15 at home from six draws and one defeat.
It has been a blot on the Anfield landscape which has nagged away at the manager, players and fans all summer.
Benitez has persistently claimed that Liverpool's shocking home form last season cost them any hope of a serious title challenge.
So it needed the massive efforts of Gerrard, and his home-grown team-mate Jamie Carragher, whose 86th-minute shot deflected in off Boro defender Emanuel Pogatetz, to drag a 2-1 victory from the jaws of defeat.
Gerrard said: "You could tell how much our winner meant to the fans, the roof came off when my goal went in.
"Everyone knows that these are the games we have to win if we are going to mount a serious title challenge. Too many home points were squandered last season."
In a week which has seen 'peace in our time' statements from both Benitez and chief executive Rick Parry after a summer of acrimony between the pair, it was good to see Benitez and his captain also singing from the same hymn sheet as well.
Benitez said: "Maybe our fans were thinking of what happened last season, when we drew too many games at home.
"But this time we have sent out a message that we can produce results like this.
"Last season we had some bad home results. But this time around we have tried very hard to be positive and to make sure such things do not happen again. This win shows we can do it."
Gareth Southgate's organised, effective side had deservedly led with 20 minutes to go through a fine drive from substitute Mido.
But Carragher's deflected drive beat goalkeeper Ross Turnbull - a last minute inclusion when Brad Jones dislocated a finger in the warm-up - then Gerrard got the winner.
In a week where England manager Fabio Capello criticised Gerrard's lack of fitness, the player said: "I've had problems with my groin throughout pre-season, and things have not gone the way I wanted them to.
"I have missed a lot of training and I am a couple of weeks behind the other lads when it comes to match fitness.
"The only way I am going to get that edge again is to get out on the pitch and play.
"I am not at my best at the moment, but I hope the fans will be patient because I am only three weeks away from my best form and fitness."
Benitez explained: "Gerrard has quality, he can score the sort of goal he got. He has that ability right at the death, he has done it before and he will continue to have the mentality to win games at the end.
"We sent a lot of players forward, the idea was to have many people around their box. It does leave us open to a counter-attack, but it is a gamble we will take.
"We know we did not play well. But you have to win games like this if you want to be contenders for the title. It is a message for everyone for the rest of the season.
"Last season we would probably have lost or drawn. But now we have different qualities and we have many options.
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