Observers were waiting to see which Gerrard would turn up - the midfield dynamo who almost single-handed turned the European Cup final on its head, or the international player who has looked so ineffective for England in recent matches.
Carrick is a player many would like to see given another chance in England's colours after his promising appearances in the United States at the end of last season. Certainly the former West Ham player is more comfortable in a holding role, helping to break up opposition moves and launch attacks with his range of cultured passing.
Carrick had more influence on this match in the opening 45 minutes, at the heart of Tottenham's best moves alongside Jermaine Jenas, who was making his debut after moving from Newcastle, and Edgar Davids in midfield.
Jenas, who acclimatised to Tottenham's style, was not the only player making his debut. South Korea defender Young-Pyo Lee and Poland striker Grzegorz Rasiak, signed from PSV Eindhoven and Derby respectively last month, came into the team and former Leeds teenager Aaron Lennon made his full debut on the wing.
For Liverpool, Peter Crouch made his Premiership debut against the club where he spent his formative years without making a first-team appearance.
Crouch looked keen to make a goalscoring impression alongside Djibril Cisse and put one shot and a header over the bar from close range in the first half.
At the other end, Rasiak went closest to opening the scoring for Spurs five minutes before half-time. Jenas worked a short free-kick to Davids, whose 20-yard shot was beaten away by Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina towards Rasiak, whose looping header hit the bar and rebounded to safety.
Tottenham had other chances. Jermain Defoe, keen to impress Eriksson after being marginalised in England's recent matches, looked full of life and shot narrowly over and then wide in the opening minutes. Defoe then crossed towards Jenas before Reina fumbled the ball clear and soon after he missed from close range with Spurs appealing for handball against a Liverpool defender, to no avail.
At the interval, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez replaced Dietmar Hamann, who had received a painful blow at a free-kick, with Mohamed Sissoko and he was greeted by pouring rain with the storm clouds having broken.
As the game came to life, Liverpool were now on top, with Cisse letting fly with a thunderous half-volley from Crouch's knockdown, Paul Robinson just managing to parry the ball.
The England goalkeeper also dived full length to grasp John Arne Riise's long-range effort, while the Norwegian then let fly with a superb volley that struck the underside of the bar and bounced to safety.
Both managers made substitutions in the closing stages in an attempt to make the decisive breakthrough, but there were nothing more than half-chances, despite Carrick's promptings to Defoe and Robbie Keane.
So Liverpool have still not conceded a goal in the Premiership this season, while Spurs have gone three games without a goal.
A draw was probably fair in the end, but a point each does little for either team's chances of finishing in the Champions League places this season and who knows what Eriksson made of it all.
