Another Silverware

Perhaps now Jose Mourinho will reconsider his view Liverpool are not genuine challengers to Chelsea's Premiership crown this season. But while such curtain-raisers have a reputation for being notoriously wayward indicators for the league campaign ahead, it will be impossible for Mourinho, and the rest of the Premiership, to ignore the signals emanating loudly from the Millennium Stadium.

The psychological effect of this result, no matter how small, will be felt at Stamford Bridge. And at Anfield, it will underline the feeling that has been growing within the camp with every new arrival over the summer. Peter Crouch's 80th-minute header sealed another cup success for Liverpool over Mourinho and continued their welcome knack of gaining silverware under Benitez. But it's the manner of the triumph that will be of greater encouragement to the manager, the improvements sought by those close season incomings slowly starting to reveal themselves. Even Mourinho had to concede Liverpool's win had been deserved. The Premiership gap between Liverpool and Chelsea two seasons ago was a mammoth 37 points. Last term, it was down to nine. Yesterday's evidence suggests the teams will be even closer this time around. True to character, Mourinho is less convinced, and neatly sidestepped the issue in the post-match press conference. But each public utterance dismissing Benitez's men betrays his fear that Liverpool, and not Manchester United or Arsenal, will be the chief threat to a third successive championship.