For five brief minutes at Anfield Brendan Rodgers believed that redemption was in his grasp.
Emre Can, grabbing the chance he had been presented with at the Bernebau in midweek, had punctuated an energetic display with a deflected opener.
So far, so vindicated. But the match had been extremely open and once Chelsea levelled, the cracks in Liverpool’s play that have blighted their season, became more and more apparent.
Ultimately those deficiencies are a result of poor recruitment, and the difference between Liverpool and Chelsea on that front is glaring.
The Londoners were quick to identify where they needed to strengthen in the summer and conducted their business with the minimum of fuss.
In Cesc Fabregas they bought a ready-made replacement for the departing Frank Lampard, who has given Jose Mourinho’s men an added dimension going forward.
Diego Costa was much more of a gamble but has acquitted himself better than most anticipated in his first campaign and provides the sort of goal threat Chelsea were crying out for last term.
The addition of Loic Remy, Didier Drogba and Felipe Luis, meanwhile, has given Mourinho depth.
Contrast that with their hosts yesterday, whose attempts to replace the sizeable hole Luis Suarez has left in their squad have been desperate and may well result in them dipping back into the transfer market come January.
Mario Balotelli is an easy scapegoat, and while he hasn’t covered himself in glory since arriving at Anfield from AC Milan, the club’s problems are not all the Italian’s fault.
Buying Balotelli was destined to fail from the start and Rodgers may now wish he never gambled on the sulking striker in the first place.
The Italian was never going to be as prolific as the man he was replacing, and does not guarantee 20 goals a season. Indeed he has notched 15 or more goals only twice in his career.
Liverpool’s success under Rodgers has been built on the pace and fluidity of their attacking movement.
In short, Balotelli does not provide the same thrusting runs that were the hallmark of Suarez and Daniel Sturridge last season and therefore Liverpool find it difficult to stretch teams.
As such they find it tough to create space against well organised opposition, and have come to rely far too heavily on the pace of Raheem Sterling.
Balotelli is a square peg that has been forced into a round hole, and as such it is easy to see why Rodgers seemed so reticent about his signature in the summer.
The Italian’s barren run could be masked, though, if the team were playing well as a unit.
This season was always going to be tough with the Champions League proving a drain on energy and resources.
But Rodgers’ other signings have not been up to the mark either.
Dejan Lovren and Adam Lallana have impressed only in patches, and look to have been overpriced, while Rickie Lambert has been little more than a mascot.
They will be given time to bed in but the fact remains neither Lallana, Lambert nor Balotelli fit into the style of play that has got Liverpool this far.
It is an identity that Rodgers must rediscover if European nights are to remain on the Anfield agenda.
