A Mohamed Salah penalty helped Liverpool edge past Aston Villa.

Steven Gerrard faced his boyhood club for the first time with a point to prove as the visitors proved difficult to break down for large parts of this encounter.

But Salah’s coolly taken spot kick midway through the second half after he had been bundled over by Tyrone Mings was enough to settle the contest.

Here were the key talking points from Anfield:

Gerrard proves a point in homecoming

Understandably, all eyes were on Steven Gerrard in his Anfield homecoming

Aston Villa’s new manager has been touted as a long-term appointee at the club where he became synonymous as a fearless, all-encompassing leader.

Even Jurgen Klopp acknowledged there is an inevitability that Gerrard will someday bring his Liverpool journey full-circle by managing his beloved team.

Klopp also predicted the visitors’ credible start under the 41-year-old would face its sternest test against his formidable Premier League title contenders.

It was, however, the opposite as Gerrard’s new charges offered a stubborn challenge for the Reds to overcome during the majority of this encounter.

Aside from a muted acknowledgement to the home crowd before kick-off, Liverpool’s homegrown hero did not appear in any mood for sentiment.

Gerrard returned to Anfield with a point to prove, and he certainly did that.

Ox not at home as false nine

On an afternoon when Anfield paid its respects to the late Ray Kennedy, the script appeared written for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to mark the occasion.

Like Kennedy, the 28-year-old has become reborn since trading Arsenal for Liverpool and was afforded a chance to continue that personal transformation.

Injury to Divock Origi and Roberto Firmino coupled with Klopp’s decision to exercise caution on Diogo Jota thrust Oxlade-Chamberlain into the front line.

The England international had been trialled in attack during pre-season but visibly struggled against a Villa backline that often refused to cede an inch.

He spent most of an hour-long outing playing between the lines, almost as if trying to cling to the comforts of midfield instead of operating in the fulcrum.

But as Oxlade-Chamberlain himself will be fully aware, Liverpool’s well-oiled machine does not make allowances for players to operate in a floating role.

Kennedy famously reinvented himself as a left-sided midfielder after arriving as a striker. A reverse move for Oxlade-Chamberlain appears unlikely on this evidence.

Reds hitting the mark at right time

Above all, this win confirmed Liverpool again possess the mark of champions.

Since surrendering an unbeaten run to West Ham United early last month, Klopp’s side have put together seven consecutive victories in all competitions.

Tellingly, their two most recent in the Premier League were won by one-goal margins on afternoons when dogged Midlands opponents refused to roll over.

Digging in became a familiar trait during successive campaigns when they served notice on Manchester City, eventually claiming a long-awaited title.

It will likely need to be again, especially with the reigning champions and Chelsea currently sandwiching Liverpool in a three-way tie at the summit.

A solitary point separates them while the chasing pack are languishing in the middle distance, with a fourth-placed West Ham currently nine points adrift.

Just as well, then, that Liverpool have rediscovered their winning formula before approaching a relentless run of fixtures over the Christmas period.