A glance at the teamsheet supports Neil Mellor’s statement.
In opposition: Lehmann, Lauren, Campbell, Toure, Cole, Vieira, Fabregas, Ljungberg, Pires, Reyes, Henry.
The nucleus of a squad that had gone the entire previous season unbeaten and a group who were, once again, very much protagonists in the battle for the title.
But Thierry Henry or Patrick Vieira wouldn’t dominate Monday morning’s back pages - and neither, for that matter, would teammates such as Steven Gerrard or Xabi Alonso.
Mellor would.
Sunday November 28, 2004. Liverpool 2-1 Arsenal.
“We were competing to be in the top four, we were way off the pace of the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea, and there was a real ‘big game’ feel to it because it was a Super Sunday and back then that was the only game on TV,” the Reds’ match-winner recalls to Liverpoolfc.