Benítez stopped short of making title predictions afterwards but was entitled to say the victory "sends out a massive message" to the Premier League.
Having taken the lead in the opening 10 minutes, Liverpool frustrated Chelsea to the extent that Luiz Felipe Scolari criticised his players for resorting to a long-ball approach. Ashley Cole and Deco might have brought parity during the final stages but there were few moments of panic as Liverpool held on to become the first side to win here in the league since Arsenal in February 2004.
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"I think [the win] means that we have the belief, that we have the mentality we need against the top sides," continued the manager, who hailed the "quality" his players had demonstrated to overcome a Chelsea side who had not tasted defeat under Scolari. "To win here was a really big thing for everybody, and so to win here sends a massive message to the other teams of what we can do."
Scolari was magnanimous in defeat, the Chelsea manager admitting, "Liverpool were better in the game," and acknowledging that Benítez got his tactics spot-on as the Spaniard set up his side to surrender possession in wide areas and encourage crosses into a penalty area where the visitors enjoyed a height advantage.
"We didn't expect the result, but need to understand that Liverpool are a very good team," Scolari said. "Benítez is intelligent. He knows and I know that we don't have a two-metre centre-forward, so they gave us space, but when we crossed they have players who are very good at winning the ball.
"I don't like to lose, but if we lose we need to touch the ball, not put the ball in the box every time. We were running out of time and the players did not have the confidence to pass the ball. I tried to tell them to play but they didn't listen." Scolari, who hopes to have Joe Cole available for the visit to Hull City on Wednesday, shrugged off the ending of Chelsea's unbeaten home record. "If we lose any place it's the same, three points," he said.