SOCCER/ UEFA CHAMPIONS LEAGUE Liverpool 1 Chelsea 3: LIVERPOOL'S DISBELIEF must be very nearly as great as their despair. Nobody had anticipated that this Champions League quarter-final could be settled in the first leg, but the position is now all but irretrievable.

The plans of the Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink frequently exposed hitherto unsuspected flaws in Liverpool’s defensive organisation, to such an extent that the right-back Branislav Ivanovic scored twice at corners.

Until this night, the only goal lodged by Chelsea at Anfield in the Champions League was put into his own net by John Arne Riise. The victors were irresistible here. The captain John Terry was booked and will miss the return, but the sole significance is that his disciplinary record will be cleared.

Nothing upset Chelsea for long, not even the loss of the evening’s first goal. This is meant to be a tortuous, overwrought fixture, yet Liverpool broke the deadlock early and did so with little hindrance. The novelty value was enhanced by the fact that Steven Gerrard was not even the key to that opener in the sixth minute.

Instead, Dirk Kuyt passed to Alvaro Arbeloa on the right and his cross was despatched with the efficiency expected of Fernando Torres.

If Chelsea had suffered a collective malfunction then, there was a lapse from their opponents almost immediately. Salomon Kalou dispossessed Fabio Aurelio and released Didier Drogba through the centre, though the Ivorian wasted the chance.

Hiddink was taking on Liverpool for the first time since being installed at Stamford Bridge, but all the scheming of a renowned tactician was marginalised when his team simply had to chase the game.

Michael Essien was at the core of the Chelsea midfield as an obstacle to Gerrard. It looked a worthwhile ploy, with the Englishman comparatively restricted, but the visitors’ overall domination before the interval counted for more. When the equaliser did arrive it seemed unfeasibly overdue. The oddity was enhanced by the fact that a Rafael Benitez team should look so confused while defending a set-piece. In the 38th minute, Ivanovic ran free of his marker Xabi Alonso, got in front of Martin Skrtel and headed home Florent Malouda’s corner for his first Chelsea goal.

It had been a breezy occasion and falling behind was a sort of liberation for Chelsea. Drogba continued to get openings, but was again wasteful.

Hiddink’s influence was felt in the inclusion of Kalou on the right in preference to Nicolas Anelka. It was more natural for the younger man to run at opponents on the flank.

Untypically, Frank Lampard was robbed by Torres in the 26th minute and the dipping, bending attempt that ensued from the Spaniard came close to establishing a 2-0 advantage. Deadlock had been anticipated, but few guessed that the first-half could be so agreeable.

The words of the managers, or at least those of Benitez, must have been roundly ignored in the dressing room. Liverpool were scatty in the 52nd minute as Drogba linked with Lampard and burst through.

After the earlier impetuousness, the striker was studied and slipped a shot beyond Reina, only to see Jamie Carragher clear from near the goal-line.

Almost immediately, Torres was firing an effort high. The openness of the action was bewildering and it led to controversy. In a slipshod moment, Martin Skrtel neglected to clear and Reina came racing out for the loose ball. Terry also pursued it and the pair collided, with the Chelsea man subsequently booked.

Chelsea did not descend into bitterness. They had too much command for that and punished a Liverpool team whose marking had unravelled and who were further handicapped by Skrtel’s unreliability.

Gerrard, though, omitted to mark Ivanovic as he climbed to take his second goal of the night from a corner, meeting Lampard’s delivery to head past Reina.

Chelsea simply outplayed Liverpool, who suffered in defence and saw Gerrard checked by Essien. Hiddink’s team made the opposition look demoralised at their third goal. The excellent Malouda broke free on the left and his low ball was converted by Drogba for the goal he deserved.

The win will be relished at Chelsea, particularly for the promise it holds.

Guardian Service

LIVERPOOL: Reina, Arbeloa, Carragher, Skrtel, Aurelio (Dossena 75), Kuyt, Lucas (Babel 79), Alonso, Riera (Benayoun 67), Gerrard, Torres. Subs not used: Cavalieri, Hyypia, Agger, Ngog. Booked: Aurelio.

CHELSEA: Cech, Ivanovic, Terry, Alex, Ashley Cole, Kalou, Ballack, Essien, Lampard, Malouda, Drogba (Anelka 79). Subs not used: Hilario, Carvalho, Belletti, Mancienne, Mikel, Deco. Booked: Kalou, Terry.

Referee: Claus Bo Larsen(Denmark).