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Current Upton Park manager Gianfranco Zola wasn’t even born the last time the Hammers won at Anfield, World Cup winners Geoff Hurst and Martin Peters scoring in a 2-1 win.

Liverpool were unbeaten in their previous 36 home games against West Ham, with it almost a decade since the Londoners even managed to avoid defeat here.

Co-owner George Gillett was present to take in his first game since September’s Champions League encounter in Marseille, having spent much of the afternoon at the stadium.

The game was prefaced by an appeal for the release of Michael Shields, read out by Sue Johnston who was flanked by the imprisoned fan’s parents.

A mosaic urging the government to ‘Free Michael Now’ was also unveiled to applause from both home and away supporters.

Benitez made four changes from the unimpressive victory here against Marseille last week, Robbie Keane and Andrea Dossena replacing injured duo Torres and Fabio Aurelio while Sami Hyypia and Yossi Benayoun replaced benched pair Daniel Agger and Javier Mascherano

It wasn’t for the want of trying that Liverpool went in goalless at half-time having dominated the first half with West Ham showing little ambition going forward.

That said, the visitors came closest to breaking the deadlock in the opening period when, eight minutes before the break, the returning Craig Bellamy, who has a tendency to score against his old clubs, struck a swerving 25-yard shot that struck the inside of the post with Pepe Reina beaten.

Otherwise, it was all Liverpool with Hyypia the unlikely danger man. The Finn headed a Gerrard corner from the right narrowly over and then went even closer when, from another Gerrard delivery, Dirk Kuyt nodded the ball back across goal and Hyypia’s header was cleared off the line by Carlton Cole.