Liverpool swept Blackburn away in 10 minutes on December 6 2008 with two excellent goals which broke their goal-less spell, only for Blackburn to punish the Reds' defence two minutes after their second game and force themselves back into the match, ensuing a dramatic ending at Ewood Park. 

And in a lengthy four-minute injury time awarded to help Blackburn have a chance to equalise the score, Steven Gerrard fired a third into the back of the net, giving Liverpool a resounding 3:1 away win, which now means Liverpool have accumulated more points on their travels than at Anfield.

Liverpool went into the clash with Blackburn to defend their position atop the English premiership, against Blackburn who were beaten 5:3 by arch-rivals Manchester United in the Carling Cup midweek. Blackburn, however, had a bigger fish to fry as they are experiencing their worst run of form in the Premier League this season in many years.

Liverpool currently is top of the league with one point ahead of Chelsea at the summit despite a second successive goalless draw on December 1 2008. Chelsea also has struggled, which has helped keep the Reds on top of the Prem, with Man United closing in fast. The situation at Blackburn is not very rosy for Paul Ince, with his team having been unable to notch up a victory in nine matches, of which the four last matches were defeats.

Kickoff at Ewood Park and quarter of an hour into the match, Blackburn composed themselves after a bit of a shaky start. The match was predominantly in the middle of the field, with neither Liverpool or Blackburn having the upper hand, although Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina kept the scoreline blank with a flying save from Morten Gamst Pedersen's ferocious drive, pushing it onto the bar. Liverpool, by the look of it, had not learnt their lesson from their previous two games and if they did not get their act together, this would prove the third consecutive premiership outing in which the Reds would not score a goal, let alone win the match.

A clash between a struggling club with only one home win, against one of the favourites to win the crown, Liverpool, with only one away defeat to Tottenham this season, but come the end of the first half, Liverpool looked as if they had a lot more problems to worry about than their hosts. Liverpool were approaching seven hours since the last time they conceded a goal in their net - and about as much since the last time they scored.

Ince's Blackburn Rovers so fare had managed to accumulate only half as many points as they had at this stage last season.

Gerrard came close for Liverpool in a resurgent Reds side in the second half, with the visitors obviously in search of that elusive goal. A powerful shot from the edge of the area was spilled by hesitant Blackburn keeper Paul Robinson, but Yossi Benayoun failed to score from the follow-up in a scramble only inches from the goal line.

Finally the visitors' determination was rewarded and the spell was broken. In the 68th minute, Gerrard's cross sailed to Xabi Alonso, who side-footed home from just inside the area. Relief for the Reds, and the visiting supporters exploded in a powerful rendition of Fields of Anfield Road, with the obvious heartbreak for Blackburn.

Precisely 10 minutes later, Liverpool sealed the fate of the match when Benayoun skinned past Stephen Warnock with embarrassing ease and shot across Robinson and into the far corner from a tight angle, sending the 7000 Reds fans ballistic. It had been tough for Liverpool, with the scoreline perhaps not as objective as the actual reality on the pitch. Blackburn stood well in the first half and battled hard in the second, but the Merseysiders out-muscled them in the space of 10 minutes.

Blackburn was having none of it and clawed themselves back into the match.  Andre Ooijer skillfully flicked on Keith Andrews' precision cross, and Roque Santa Cruz was intelligently positioned at the far post to head home for the visitors, 1:2 and a glimpse of hope for the Rovers.

Four minutes of injury time for the Rovers to scrape a point, but it was not meant to be, 24 seconds after the fourth minute of injury time had expired, Gerrard sealed the win for Liverpool, 3:1.

Blackburn Rovers: Robinson, Ooijer, Samba, Nelsen, Warnock, Emerton, Andrews, Kerimoglu, Pedersen, Roque Santa Cruz, Derbyshire.
Subs: Brown, McCarthy, Vogel, Villanueva, Simpson, Fowler, Treacy.

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Insua, Benayoun, Mascherano, Alonso, Babel, Gerrard, Kuyt.
Subs: Cavalieri, Keane, Dossena, Agger, Riera, Lucas, El Zhar.