Liverpool are safely through to the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup after beating Championship side Brighton 2-1 at the Amex Stadium on Wednesday night.
Craig Bellamy scored his first Liverpool goal since netting against Barcelona in 2007, before Dirk Kuyt sealed the victory with ten minutes remaining.
Ashley Barnes pulled a late penalty back for Brighton, but at that point they were never going to affect the result.
Steven Gerrard also made his return for the Reds after six months out, coming on as a substitute for Luis Suarez with 15 minutes remaining.
It took only seven minutes for Liverpool to take the lead. Maxi played in Suarez, who spied the run of Bellamy and deftly played the Welshman in. The 32-year-old made no mistake in slotting past Casper Ankergren.
Suarez had two good opportunities later in the half, flashing one effort wide and a header over, before Jay Spearing hit the woodwork.
Brighton came back into it in the second half - with Craig Mackail Smith looking particularly dangerous - but the game was over when Maxi fed Kuyt and the touchman sidefooted the ball past Ankergren.
Spearing was guilty of giving away the penalty, converted coolly by Barnes, but the Premier League were not made to wait long for the final whistle.