Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrated wearing the captain's armband with a stunning goal as Liverpool overcame the resistance of brave Accrington Stanley.
The League Two side mocked the 86 places that separated them from the Premier League leaders until Diogo Jota broke the deadlock following a quick counter-attack after half an hour.
Alexander-Arnold, who has been heavily linked with a summer move to Real Madrid when his contract at Anfield expires in the summer, added a second on the stroke of half-time by firing in a shot from 20 yards. Substitutes Jayden Danns and Federico Chiesa added shine to the victory at the end.
Rio Ngumoha impressed on his debut aged just 16, but Accies can also be proud of the spirited show they put on for their rowdy supporters and came close when Josh Woods hit the woodwork to make it 2-0.
Darwin Nunez was involved in the action as Liverpool pushed for an early lead.
He capitalized on a chance created by Harvey Elliott and then fired over after Accrington goalkeeper William Crellin, on loan from Everton, saved Alexander-Arnold's shot.
Trent Alexander-Arnold put Liverpool in a commanding position before the break with a stunning shot
The right back scored, captaining the team, with an accurate shot that slipped into the top corner.
Federico Chiesa came off the bench to score his first goal for the Reds since his arrival in the summer.
To the League Two underdogs' credit, they came back when they could.
Wataru Endo, playing as an emergency centre-back with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate out of the team, struggled as the underdogs pressed.
There was mild panic in the Liverpool penalty area when full-back Josh Woods was left unmarked at the far post but found the angle too tight.
Ngumah showed a lot of confidence on the left. He wasn't afraid to fake and dribble and there was great anticipation every time the ball came to him.
The possession stats after 25 minutes were 83% for Liverpool, but it didn't feel that way as Crellin was rarely bothered during that period.
Ironically, it was when Accrington went ahead that the home team struck.
A foul by Ngumoha gave the visitors a free kick which allowed them to push their men into the set piece.
Tsimikas headed a clearance and from there Liverpool broke with quick conviction.
Diogo Jota opened the scoring for Arne Slot's team after a characteristic Liverpool counterattack
The League Two side gave a good account of themselves and were even able to trouble Reds stopper Caoimhin Kelleher.
Early passes from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexander-Arnold freed Núñez in acres of space on the right.
For once, the Uruguayan lifted his head and showed composure to slide a pass towards Jota to score from six yards out.
It was the Portuguese international's seventh goal of the season and made him the first Liverpool player to score against Accrington since 1950s legend Billy Liddell.
The goal seemed to relax Liverpool. Crellin was called into action to save Elliott as they looked to put the game away. Tyler Morton attempted an audacious shot from 25 yards and didn't go far off target.
Alexander-Arnold, who seemed to enjoy wearing the armband despite the uncertainty over his future, capped an impressive performance with a goal that demonstrated his quality.
After Ngumoha had a shot blocked, the full-back collected the ball on the right edge of the penalty and drilled it into the top corner before Crellin could react.
When the scorer was announced, The Kop applauded loudly. Alexander-Arnold would have relished that after being criticized for his links to Real Madrid and even Accies coach John Doolan (he once coached six-year-old Trent at Liverpool's academy).
Federico Chiesa, who won the Italian Cup with Juventus last season, replaced Szoboszlai at half-time in his first experience in the English version.
He shot into the side netting, but there was even more excitement at the other end when Stanley nearly scored a goal in front of his fans.
Josh Woods shot from the edge of the box past Caoimhin Kelleher but hit the crossbar. It was agonizingly close for Woods, a lifelong Liverpool fan.
Former Manchester United player Donald Love missed his moment of glory when he headed in a corner kick.
Ngumoha received a hug from coach Arne Slot when he was substituted in the 72nd minute. It was an impressive debut, but in the final minutes the Liverpool boss wanted his team to regain momentum.
It worked because substitute Danns, 18, added a third Liverpool goal four minutes after his arrival. He set up Chiesa, who was thwarted by Crellin, but went on to steal the rebound.
Chiesa even had time to score his first goal in English football after a campaign interrupted by injury, beating Crellin with a precise shot from outside the area.
Still, the minnows could hold their heads high. In the famous milk advert that ran for six years from 1989, a young Liverpool fan asked: “Accrington Stanley, who are they?” They can be proud to show everyone at Anfield that they are a real football team.