Curtis Jones’ goal helped Liverpool see off Everton in the FA Cup third round.
The much-changed hosts were forced into an early change when James Milner suffered a knock and had to be replaced by Yasser Larouci.
But Jones settled a cagey encounter with a wonder strike to open his senior account for the Reds and book their place in the competition’s next round.
Here were the key talking points from Anfield:
Klopp’s pesky kids deliver again
Never did a Bill Shankly quote ring truer than when he declared that the two greatest teams on Merseyside were Liverpool and Liverpool’s reserves.
For the second time in barely three months, Jurgen Klopp’s pesky kids have booked their place in the next round of another major tournament.
Everton’s full-strength side appeared heavily fancied to end their 21-year Anfield hoodoo when they headed into Sunday’s all-Merseyside FA Cup clash.
Curtis Jones and company, however, clearly had other ideas. Again.
Carlo Ancelotti’s starting line-up cost more than five times the Reds’ equivalent yet could not gain a foothold in this 235th derby encounter.
Even when the match remained goalless, there was never a sense Liverpool would not find themselves in the hat for Monday’s fourth round draw.
Anfield’s strength in depth is often confined to first-team matters but their up-and-coming crop have shown that they can more than hold its own.
Gutless Blues lay bare Ancelotti’s task
Everton performances on the other side of Stanley Park over the previous two decades tend to be accompanied by a particularly low bar.
The next appearance can never be as bad as the last outing at their former stomping ground with December’s 5-2 humbling the latest case in point.
If only that were true.
To describe the Blues’ display in this game as gutless would be polite. It was completely abject; devoid of personality, cutting edge and any fight.
Little surprise, then, that only Djbril Sidibe was willing to acknowledge the 7,900 fans that packed into the Anfield Road End at the final whistle.
True to the previous 90 minutes, his teammates opted to go into hiding.
It laid bare the task ahead of Ancelotti over the next 12 months at least. Too many players are more than willing to phone it in and hide behind excuses.
No one expected the Italian to deliver overnight success at Goodison Park but he clearly has his work cut out in making this squad a competitive one.
Minamino makes a good first impression
On his Liverpool debut, the omens appeared promising for Takumi Minamino.
Exactly two years since Virgil van Dijk marked his own maiden outing with a goal against Everton, omens were promising the forward to follow suit.
Although Minamino drew a blank on his Anfield bow, there were plenty of signs for optimism with a series of lively spells throughout the first half.
His willingness to take on players with clever footwork while also routinely demanding the ball from his teammates had echoes of Roberto Firmino.
Klopp is still working out where exactly the Japan international will fit into his starting line-up, especially in the midst of a Premier League coronation.
The Liverpool manager will have been further food for thought after seeing his January arrival producing a good first impression in front of the Kop.
Time for Big Dunc’s return?
Not even the most irate Evertonian would dream of calling for Ancelotti’s head after this defeat, but it should herald Duncan Ferguson’s return to the fore.
The Champions League-winning coach warned that he would be having strong words with his under-performing charges on Monday morning.
He would be better delegating the debrief to Ferguson, who instilled a sense of pride in Everton’s performances during a feelgood spell as caretaker.
Ancelotti knows what it takes to fashion a winning team but his new assistant manager is an invaluable resource when it comes down to the brass tacks.
A gentle reminder from Ferguson of the standards expected from an Everton team can prevent this setback from deteriorating into a season-long tailspin.