Three times defiant Blackburn bravely surged back to claim equalisers, but on a night of high drama, watched by England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson, Liverpool won a brilliant match.

Gillespie and Jansen could both have scored in a impressive fight back, while Riise was put away by Anelka to beat two men and blaze a shot over the angle.

Rovers had Liverpool reeling by now, and Jansen arrived on the far post with 11 minutes left to drill home Gillespie’s low cross for the equaliser.

With five minutes left, Carragher powered forward and fed Heskey, who charged along the face of the box before cutting in to drill a superb goal into the far corner.