Those who argue Peter Crouch, even at 6ft 7in, can never be a top level striker, may have felt inclined to rest their case after the sometime England international was substituted midway through the second half against the 10 men of Blackburn.
Djibril Cisse, his Liverpool partner, squandered a catalogue of chances as he endeavoured to justify his claims for a regular place and Blackburn's fans duly taunted him.
But the Frenchman had his retribution 16 minutes from the end, when he drilled his shot past Blackburn's defensive wall and goalkeeper Brad Friedel to win the match for Liverpool.
Rafael Benitez's side could and should have gone on to secure the points by a comfortable margin, but Fernando Morientes, brought on for Crouch, was just as wasteful.
The complexion of the match changed when Blackburn's central defender Zurab Khizanishvili, was sent off for bringing down Cisse in the 33rd minute.
Blackburn were forced to retreat ever deeper into their own territory yet still might have salvaged an improbable point when an unattended Shefki Kuqi headed woefully off target.
The concern for Liverpool is that they remain predictable and ineffectual in the final third. Crouch, for one, has neither the goal-scoring instinct nor the creative capabilities to solve that problem.
He won his share of the aerial no contests, yet too often the flick-on led to nothing. He turned on to one reasonable opportunity late in the first half only to blaze high over the bar. Cisse has suggested he will seek a move in the new year if he isn't given a run in the side. He had his chances a-plenty before that decisive strike.
Crouch's fortuitous assist gave Momo Sissoko an early scent of goal and the excitement was obviously too much for the midfield player, who lost control. Cisse found space to meet Xabi Alonso's corner, but cut fresh air with his spectacular attempt at a scissors kick. Alonso delivered again, from a free-kick, and this time Jamie Carragher made nothing of it.
Blackburn's composed build-up fashioned an opening for Robbie Savage and Liverpool were relieved his snatched shot veered wide.
Cisse frustrated colleagues and supporters alike by repeatedly running offside, but his persistence brought a reward of sorts. He lured Khizanishvili into a miss-timed tackle and tumbled to the ground. Referee Mark Horsley initially pointed to the penalty spot then, after consulting with his linesman, gave a free-kick just outside the area. TV pictures confirmed this was the correct decision. Blackburn disputed the referee's decision to send off the Georgian defender though to no avail, Bolo Zenden hit the bar from the eventual free-kick and Andy Todd arrived at Paul Dickov's expense to help Blackburn see out the half.
Liverpool were bizarrely reluctant to change their strategy against a back-pedalling 10 men but Luis Garcia replaced Josemi and Liverpool at last exerted a degree of pressure. Cisse's mishaps pursued him until the 74th minute when he stamped a rolled free-kick low into Blackburn's net and celebrated in front of the Blackburn following.