Liverpool started brightly and Steven Gerrard soon had Crewe worried when he hit the bar after only four minutes. The woodwork saved Crewe again before the break when John Arne Riise thundered a shot against the post. Liverpool were already 2-0 by then however as they dominated the game.
The first goal came after 21 minutes when Lee Peltier teed up new signing Andriy Voronin. Voronin's snap shot was saved by Crewe goalkeeper Ben Williams but Peltier reacted quickest and prodded home the rebound.
It was 2-0 three minutes later when Riise's cross was cleverly turned home by last season's top scorer Peter Crouch.
Steven Gerrard almost caught Williams napping after 35 minutes when he tried a shot from sixty yards out but the Crewe goalie managed to backtrack in time and save it.
Rafael Benitez sent out a different eleven for the second half but it continued to be one way traffic. 2007 FA Youth Cup winner Ray Putterill made it 3-0 on the hour mark with a debut goal following a mazy dribble and some good link up play with Dirk Kuyt.
Kuyt then set up Craig Lindfield but the double FA Youth Cup winner put his header wide. Kuyt and Xabi Alonso both saw chances fly narrowly wide before the final whistle as the Reds saw out a comfortable win.