Liverpool recovered from its 4-1 humiliation at Tottenham in the last round with a 3-0 win against Huddersfield on Saturday in the Premier League. Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp got one over on best friend and Huddersfield boss David Wagner, whose Terriers ended Manchester United's unbeaten start to the season last week.
Huddersfield comfortably held its hosts at bay for 50 minutes courtesy of goalkeeper Jonas Lossl's penalty save from Mohamed Salah in the first half.
However, a brilliant striker's finish from Daniel Sturridge broke Huddersfield's resistance and Roberto Firmino and Georginio Wijnaldum secured Liverpool's win.
The result had looked far from secure after a dreadful first half, watched by the president of club owners Fenway Sports Group Mike Gordon who had flown in for the game.
Wagner, Klopp's best man and former youth team coach under his long-time friend at Borussia Dortmund, had said he would park the bus as numerous visitors to Anfield had done before them with general success and he was true to his word with mid-table Huddersfield retreating into a 5-4-1 formation without the ball.
It had the desired effect in stifling what creativity the hosts, without the injured Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane plus under-fire defender Dejan Lovren who sustained a thigh problem in the warmup, could muster.
Salah's spot-kick — awarded after referee Kevin Friend spotted Tommy Smith tugging Firmino's shirt - was blasted straight down the middle, with Jordan Henderson driving the rebound wide.
It was Liverpool's 34th miss from the spot in the Premier League. No team has failed more times. Liverpool has now missed their last three penalties at Anfield with James Milner, Firmino and Salah all culpable.
After the break, Sturridge finished brilliantly by clipping a shot over Lossl after right-back Smith inadvertently headed the ball back into his own penalty area.
Sturridge reached his 100th club goal in his 270th game, although his strike-rate for Liverpool is much better with 62 in 130.
He was denied a second when Mathias Jorgensen slid in to prevent the England striker rolling Firmino's square pass into an open net but from the resulting corner, the Brazilian headed in Milner's corner for his first league goal in two months.
Wijnaldum blasted into the roof of the net to make it 3-0.
Liverpool rose three places to sixth with 16 points from 10 games.
