With speculation growing over his long-term future at Anfield, Agger knows he must make the most of any first-team opportunities to prove himself worthy of the regular starting role he so clearly craves.

The gloss was put on the win in injury time when, from Carragher’s deep cross, Lucas Leiva headed across for fellow substitute David Ngog to nod in his third goal for the club.

Blackburn, it must be said, were pitiful on Saturday. Indeed, Liverpool couldn’t have hand-picked better opposition to help restore their brittle confidence, and the margin of victory should have been greater with Torres and Benayoun missing good chances and Mascherano and Dirk Kuyt bringing the best out of Robinson.

With Rovers manager Sam Allardyce selecting five men across midfield and a centre-back in attack, the visitors’ spoiling tactics were obvious, although redundant the moment Torres’ sublime opener crashed into Robinson’s net.

No wonder Allardyce spent much of the match whingeing and moaning from the sidelines, with Liverpool – for whom Kuyt was causing problems playing off Torres in a conventional 4-4-2 – dominant throughout.

It was the 76th minute before Samba forced Pepe Reina into his one worthwhile save, the goalkeeper’s 200th Liverpool appearance passing without incident.

Jamie Carragher had declared this was the biggest league game of his Liverpool career, and afterwards insisted all six remaining fixtures will have similar importance provided Benitez’s side can maintain their Premier League momentum.