English football's fiercest battle won, the march of their oldest enemies to the grandest of prizes staunched. The visit, the defeat of Manchester United proved the most auspicious of days for Liverpool.

The sort of day to salute a legend, and the sort of day to anoint a new hero.

It was not, though, as it was supposed to be, Andy Carroll, the club record signing who made his debut for the last 17 minutes. It was not that grizzled old dog of war Dirk Kuyt, scorer of a hat-trick of tap-ins. This was Kenny Dalglish's birthday party. And it was Luis Suarez's coming of age.

The Uruguayan may not have scored - though George Sefton, the voice of Anfield, rather kindly awarded him the first - but he chose this stage to give the kind of display that forges reputations. The sort of display that makes wearing Dalglish's old shirt that little bit easier.

Suarez was a tornado, twisting through United's patchwork rearguard, wreaking havoc wherever he went. He teed up the opener, beating Rafael, Chris Smalling and Wes Brown before clipping the ball underneath Edwin van der Sar. It would have crossed the line; Kuyt, a man who clearly does not care a jot for narrative, made sure.

Read more at The Telegraph ....