Before the dogs of war were unleashed in this Merseyside derby, the main focal point for the ritualistic blood-letting was the young man who famously declared he couldn't understand what all the fuss was about when he swapped blue for red last summer.
Nick Barmby's butter-wouldn't-melt features had a slightly grey hue to them as frightful, spiteful abuse rolled down from all quarters of a stadium which was so enveloped by emotion that, at times, it seemed fit to burst. He was, however, to have if not the day's final word then a major say in the outcome.
Barmby's opener was a curious goal, for while his flying header was quite beautifully executed, the manner of the ball's delivery into his path was fortuitous, Christian Ziege's shot clipping Abel Xavier and looping high into the slate-grey skies.
"He was very professional. It was a special day and it has not been easy for him," said Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier of his £6million man. "As soon as his chance came I knew he would score, I just told him to keep focused."
All that was missing from this encounter was the kitchen sink and fittingly it was in the midst of a downpour that the tide was finally turned on Merseyside.
After emerging victorious from just one of their 12 previous league meetings with their neighbours, Liverpool fashioned a win which keeps them treading on the coat-tails of the Premiership's leading pair.
But to suggest that the home side played marginally better than they had three days earlier against the Czech Republic minnows of Slovan Liberec would be to damn them with the faintest of praise. There was an improvement but, in truth, the gap between Liverpool's performances and their potential is still frustratingly wide.
Either side of Barmby's opener, two of Everton's early chances fell not to Kevin Campbell or to Paul Gascoigne but to Mark Pembridge, a tenacious-enough midfielder but a man who has never really mastered the art of clinical finishing.
After five minutes Pembridge somehow contrived to lift the ball well wide of the far post when only goalkeeper Sander Westerveld stood in his way. Then eight minutes later he inexplicably hooked wide.
But a sense of meaningful perspective was returned to the afternoon on 17 minutes when Everton's tidy football was finally rewarded, Kevin Campbell turning home from close range after David Weir had been allowed to turn an Idan Tal corner back across the face of goal.
That nicely-worked goal was to represent the summit of Everton's achievement for the limitations of what is a thin and depleted squad were particularly evident in a second half which Liverpool dominated with such ease that it made their first half contribution all the more unpalatable.
Once Emile Heskey had claimed a sixth goal in four games - a powerful low drive which skipped off a sodden surface - Liverpool were all but home.
The frantically-paced football which had sustained Everton began to slacken off, Dietmar Hamann finally began to match the superb Gascoigne in central midfield and the pendulum had swung, decisively so.
It got worse for Everton. With 13 minutes remaining, substitute Gary Naysmith failed to intercept Westerveld's long clearance and Vladimir Smicer's run on goal was only ended by Thomas Gravesen's illegal tackle.
Gravesen, the best player on the pitch by some distance, was sent off and Patrik Berger rifled home the resultant penalty to end all the arguments.
Houllier viewed Heskey's goal as the game's turning point, beaming "The lad is only 22 and I believe he can become a truly great goalscorer in the future."
But Everton counterpart Walter Smith was unhappy with his side's defeat. "We started well, and in the first half we should have been in front."
LIVERPOOL: Westerveld, Gerrard (Carragher 87), Ziege, Hyypia, Babbel, Berger, Hamann, McAllister, Barmby, Fowler (Smicer 69), Heskey. Subs Not Used: Arphexad, Traore, Murphy. Goals: Barmby 12, Heskey 56, Berger 78 pen.
EVERTON: Gerrard, Ball (Naysmith 54), Weir, S. Watson, Nyarko, Pembridge, Xavier, Gravesen, Tal (Moore 67), Gascoigne, Campbell. Subs Not Used: Simonsen, Unsworth, Gemmill. Sent Off: Gravesen (77). Booked: Pembridge. Goals: Campbell 17. Attendance: 44,718.
Referee: P Durkin (Dorset).
