The Liverpool captain illuminated an otherwise gloomy afternoon on Merseyside with the kind of goal, assured and devastating, that has been his trademark.
This, though, was his first in the Premiership since April 29. It was enough to beat a City side who justly believed, for three quarters of this dour encounter, that they would collect only their second away point of the season.
It should also have convinced the Liverpool manager, Rafael Benitez, and another interested onlooker, England's head coach, Steve McClaren, that to position Gerrard on the right, even as a starting point, is a ludicrous waste of a rare talent.
Gerrard's second-half power surge maintained his club's excellent home form and prolonged City's dire run on the road. Liverpool failed to seriously extend Nicky Weaver, the City goalkeeper, until the skipper's goal, but were content to take the points with their make-do-and-mend selection.
Liverpool, stretched by injuries, operated with three at the back and two wing backs who failed to deliver the service their front pair required. Their defence, in turn, was scarcely inconvenienced by a City who had only one out-and-out striker. Stuart Pearce, the City manager, unashamedly congested the midfield and succeeded in stifling Liverpool for all but that fateful moment, when a misunderstanding opened the door to the unforgiving Gerrard. Benitez believes the goal will add fuel to the player's fire. He said: "It's important for him if he can score goals. His first Premiership goal will give him more confidence. He is playing better now. We need that."
Liverpool, like City, need to raise their game away from home. Benitez said: "If we beat Portsmouth in our next home match we will have more confidence when we go to Wigan next week."
Pearce drew encouragement from his team's application and rued the breakdown in communications between Joey Barton and Sylvain Distin. "We set out our team to frustrate Liverpool and we did that," Pearce said. "But you can't afford to give the ball to Gerrard 25 yards out with a written invitation on it. Your good work goes down the pan."
All City's work was going just as they would have wished until the 66th minute. Richard Dunne's early uncertainty gave Liverpool glimpses of their goal but the Irishman recovered his composure and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the defiant Distin.
City might even have stolen a goal when Barton and Micah Richards, given a midfield role, prised an opening for Bernardo Corradi. The Italian, who scored his first two goals in English football the previous week, could not add to his tally.
Luis Garcia brilliantly controlled the ball only to thrash it into the side netting when it seemed Liverpool would force the breakthrough.
Corradi went close again on the hour, but instead City merely paved the way for Gerrard's winner. Dirk Kuyt smartly intercepted Barton's pass before it reached Distin, Gerrard pounced and rammed it past Weaver. City's substitute Georgios Samaras almost caught Jose Reina by surprise as City pressed in vain.