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Fernando Torres scored his first Premiership goal to give the home side the lead after 15 minutes, though high drama followed in the second half when Steve Finnan was adjudged to have fouled Florent Malouda, despite the Chelsea man having made no attempt control a crossfield ball from Shaun Wright-Phillips. Frank Lampard duly stepped up and sent Pepe Reina the wrong way.

A total of eight yellow cards were shown in a hard-fought contest, which saw both sides maintain their unbeaten start to the season.

With neither Glen Johnson nor Paulo Ferreira having convinced at right-back in recent weeks, Jose Mourinho opted to deploy Michael Essien in the position, though he too was almost caught out in the opening minute.

Jermaine Pennant picked out Jon Arne Riise at the back post, and after Essien has lost touch with his man, only a poor first touch from the Norwegian allowed Petr Cech to come and smother the danger.

Cech then saved low from a trademark Riise effort from distance, before Torres burst into life, skinning Tal Ben Haim, to give Liverpool the lead.

Chelsea were struggling to find a way through the industrious Liverpool midfield, and Salomon Kalou was left to feed off occasional knock-downs from Didier Drogba outside the area.

On the one occasion Kalou did receive the ball in the area, Gerrard arrived on the scene to nick the ball off his toes.

Despite their disjointed play, Chelsea did manage to fashion one golden chance for skipper John Terry. Lampard whipped in a pacy free-kick to the back post, and Terry stole in between Riise and Daniel Agger, only to fail to make proper contact with the ball when the goal was at his mercy.

Mourinho responded at half-time by replacing Kalou with Claudio Pizarro, and the Peruvian almost found the equaliser with his first touch of the game, though could not direct his header from Shaun Wright-Phillips' cross goalward.

Chelsea had so far failed to genuinely test Pepe Reina in the Liverpool, when a present arrived from the referee on the hour-mark. Malouda collided with Finnan while leaving Wright-Phillips's cross for Drogba at the far post, and, to the surprise of everybody, referee Rob Styles pointed to the spot. Lampard stepped up and duly sent Reina the wrong way.

Liverpool almost restored their lead twice soon after. Gerrard fired over after nutmegging Ashley Cole moments later, before Riise hammered a right foot volley wide after a superb cushioned set-up from Pennant.

Further controversy then followed when the referee brandished a second yellow card to Michael Essien for picking up the ball with Liverpool looking to take a free-kick, though no red card followed, and the Ghanaian, after initially holding his head in his hands in despair, was allowed to play on.

Liverpool went close twice further in the final ten minutes through substitute Ryan Babel, who smashed a right foot drive into the side-netting, and then Riise, who saw a low shot saved by Cech from a tight angle, but Chelsea held firm.

Michael FitzGerald / Eurosport