After a week of turmoil, Steven Gerrard is this evening back doing what he does best. And that's wearing the hangdog expression of a man suffering a thundering existential breakdown while running around a football pitch, as opposed to wearing the hangdog expression of a man suffering a thundering existential breakdown while slumped in the passenger seat of a 4x4 after spending a night in the jug.

Preston North End: Lonergan, Jones, Mawene, St. Ledger, Davidson, Sedgwick, Chaplow, McKenna, Wallace, Parkin, Mellor.

Subs: Chris Neal, Brown, Nicholson, Carter, Whaley, Nolan, Elliott.

Liverpool: Cavalieri, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Insua, Alonso, Mascherano, Babel, Gerrard, Riera, Keane.

Subs: Reina, Torres, Aurelio, Leiva Lucas, Ngog, El Zhar, Skrtel.

Referee: Martin Atkinson (W Yorkshire)

Kick off: 5.25pm

The joys of watching football on ITV. These clueless goons have just spent the best part of 20 minutes talking about Steven Gerrard. Finally they get around to putting up a caption displaying the line-up of the home side. At least I think they did: it was quite hard to tell, as the caption was flashed up on screen for about 0.0000000732 seconds, before they cut to a film of Preston and former Liverpool striker Neil Mellor wandering around outside Anfield. Maybe it wasn't the Preston team at all. Maybe it was a subSMOKE FAGSliminDRINK BEERal mesSATAN SAYS GO ON KILL YOURSELFsage.

The teams are out and about. The atmosphere at Deepdale is fantastic. At least it sounds fantastic on TV. I'm not there. I'm making this up.

And we're off! Liverpool set the ball rolling, and lose the ball within two seconds. Preston hare up the left wing, Wallace sending a looping ball into the box which finds Parkin only just offside. A decent start from the home side.

2 min: Sean St Ledger, one of the stars of that Sky One programme about Peterborough a couple of years ago, Barry And Big Ron Make Some Poor Bugger's Life Hell Until He Resigns In A Fit Of Pique, nearly concedes a corner under pressure from Mascherano. But doesn't. This is all a bit harum scarum at the moment.

5 min: Agger upends McKenna as the Preston midfielder races down the middle of the park after a long ball. There was plenty of cover, so the Liverpool centre-half doesn't even get booked for his cheeky trip. But Preston have a free kick in a dangerous central position, and Wallace forces Cavalieri to scramble the ball round his left-hand post with a dipping effort.

8 min: Preston haven't really created much yet, but they're enjoying much more of the ball. Liverpool proving themselves totally unable to keep control of the ball at the moment. Meanwhile Paul Muir is watching this game on Al Jazeera in Dubai, and would like you to know all about it. "You'll be pleased to know the furrows on Stevie's forehead are still as prominent over 3,500 miles away," he reports. Yes, but you're not 3,500 miles away from your television set, though, are you? You do understand how this hi-def digital technology works, yes?

10 min: A bit better from Liverpool, as Carragher hares down the right and sends in a cross which only just clears the head of Keane, then seconds later Babel scampers down the same flank, only to shank a terrible cross miles into the stand behind the goal. A very little bit better.

12 min: An utterly fantastic run by Riera, who skins Jones down the left to reach the byline, before fizzing a wonderful cross along the deck to Keane in the centre. I'm not going to tell you what Keane managed to do while eight yards out with only the keeper to beat. You'll have to guess, though I'll wager you won't be too far wrong.

13 min: Gerrard has a welt at goal from 25 yards out. Lonergan has it covered, though it stings his hands alright and he needs two attempts to claim. Liverpool are slowly beginning to find their rhythm.

15 min: This is all Liverpool now. Insua, Riera and Gerrard ping it around in triangles down the left, Gerrard eventually being upended as he threatens to burst towards the box. Alonso's free kick is cleared easily enough by St Ledger, but this is beginning to look ominous for Preston.

18 min: Riera faffs around down the Liverpool left, allowing Sedgwick to steal away with the ball. His deep cross is, however, easily mopped up by Hyypia - who a couple of minutes ago, incidentally, danced halfway down the right wing like Tom Finney. His confidence does not appear to be low.

20 min: Chaplow has a dig from 20 yards or so but it's easily snaffled by Cavalieri. Seconds later, in the centre circle, Keane attempts to trap the ball with his arse. It's a ploy that occasionally worked for Kenny Dalglish, but not for this number 7, who ends up sliding around the turf on his face.

23 min: It's all pointless hoofing at the moment. Mellor has a whack from wide on the left - it's easily saved - then up the other end Gerrard slices one into the area to little effect. "How in the hell did Riera go from absolute anonymous nonentity at City a couple years ago to a star on the left for Liverpool?" asks Jeremy Milloy. "Wait, don't answer that."

24 min: WHAT A GOAL! Preston 0-1 Liverpool. Well, hats off to Jeremy Milloy for his timely email. Further riffing on Manchester City's pain - who of course crashed out at home to Nottingham Forest today - occurs as their former player Riera cuts inside from the right, reaches the byline, runs back up the pitch a bit, turns to face goal, then wallops a simply preposterous shot into the top-left corner. That's one hell of a strike. Riera is beginning to make a habit of this.

28 min: Preston are now almost totally incapable of keeping the ball. Babel and Alonso combine well down the right, the former sending a cross into the box towards Keane, who tries a clever dummy that ain't so clever.

31 min: The Liverpool goal has fair done for the atmosphere in Deepdale. Though there is quite a loud cheer when Babel, sashaying in from the right, takes a fresh-air swipe at a ball dropping into the Preston box.

34 min: Chaplow is booked for trundling up and down Alonso's right shin. Tom Finney is pictured in the stands looking totally radged off with this whole business.

36 min: Agger - who is a very accomplished footballing centre-back indeed - swans straight up the middle of the pitch, dummies past Jones, and wallops a shot goalwards. It's deflected for a corner, from which Alonso is set up on the edge of the area; his effort is appalling.

38 min: Keane drops a shoulder and finds himself one on one with Lonergan. He dinks a chip right into the keeper's face. He then tries to keep the chance alive by slipping the ball to Riera, but only succeeds in falling over and sliding around the ground on the top of his head.

43 min: This isn't a contest.

44 min: With Keane chasing after a long ball, Lonergan comes to the edge of his area to punch clear. Alonso attempts to return it into the net from 35 yards, but slices the effort badly.

45 min: £20.3m Robbie Keane cost. Gerrard swings a peach of a cross into the area over the head of St Ledger. It falls at the feet of Keane, six yards out. Keane sidefoots the ball back across goal, miles wide of the left-hand post. He has the cheek to smiile about this.

45 min and a bit: £20.3m! £20.3m! £20.3m! £20.3m! £20.3m! Again Keane finds himself free six yards out. This time he nearly falls over the ball, just about managing to dig it out from under his feet and passing the buck to Riera, who under pressure can't get a decent shot in on goal. On purely fiscal terms, Keane is just under three times the player Andrea Dossena is. Which is about right. This is a pitiful display from Keane.

HALF TIME: Preston 0-1 Liverpool. £20.3m, though.

And we're off again! Xabi Alonso, who may or may not have been affected by Chaplow jigging up and down his right leg in mid air, is replaced by Lucas. Preston get things underway for the second half, and enjoy 48 seconds of possession, almost double the amount they managed in the first period.

47 min: Riera is upended down the right. Gerrard swings the free kick in towards Keane, who fresh airs it from six yards. This is just getting stupid now. St Ledger heads clear for a corner, from which Agger heads wide from eight yards. This really should be over already.

49 min: Mellor and Parkin hold the ball up well between them in the centre circle, the former then pinging it out wide right to Jones. Insua holds Jones up with ease, but that was a bit better from the home side, who aren't showing much urgency, it has to be said.

51 min: Parkin bustles well down the middle, evading Mascherano. His through ball towards St Ledger nearly finds his man, but it's a wee bit too strong and Cavalieri comes out to claim. Much better from Preston.

55 min: Liverpool pass it around a lot, a long sequence of passes coming to an end when a one-two between Keane and Gerrard fails to come off on the edge of the Preston box, Mawene stepping in to put a stop to their gallop.

57 min: Eddie Nolan replaces Davidson for Preston. Keane skates down the left, finding himself in acres. His chip into the centre is staggeringly aimless. Watching Keane flail around is now becoming quite painful.

58 min: Mascherano wallops an effort goalwards from 25 yards out; it only just sails over the bar. Liverpool are beginning to assert themselves again.

59 min: Brilliance from Mascherano, who robs McKenna in the centre of Preston's half with a crunching tackle, then feeds Gerrard in the centre. Sadly for Liverpool the resulting shot - a far-too-fancy chip towards the top-left corner, is easily claimed by Lonergan.

60 min: Babel, who has been very quiet indeed, sidefoots a lovely pass inside from the right to Gerrard. The Liverpool captain's first-time shot is arrowing into the top-right corner but is brilliantly fingertipped away by Lonergan. This is surely just a matter of time before Liverpool score a second.

62 min: Mellor is replaced by Stephen Elliott. Meanwhile here's the case for Robbie Keane, made by Gary Naylor, so none of us have to: "Robbie Keane has done little to convince me that his transfer fee isn't absurd... except that I would never have thought that Liverpool could play so many games without Torres and still be fully competitive in so many competitions. What he's actually doing right, I'm not sure, but it must be something. And Tottenham's form since he left suggests he was doing something right there too."

64 min: Preston have what initially looks like a perfectly good goal disallowed! Chaplow swings a delicious cross into the Liverpool area from the left. St Ledger rises and beats Hyypia to the ball, crashing a header into the top-right corner. It's a great finish... but it won't count because, as all this was going on, Parkin was in the six-yard box rugby-tackling Carragher to the floor. Totally the correct decision, though try telling that to the denizens of a livid Deepdale.

67 min: That's woken Preston up, though: all of a sudden the home side are in the ascendancy. Liverpool can't get hold of the ball at all; meanwhile Preston are flinging long balls into the heart of the away defence, and Liverpool don't look happy about it at all.

70 min: Chaplow has a belt from just outside the area. It just about stays inside the ground. To add to Liverpool's worries, Alonso walks down the touchline with a cast on his right foot.

72 min: Insua is penalised for kicking Wallace on the thigh, just to the right of the Liverpool area. The free kick is sent fizzing in by Wallace... fizzing into the stand behind. That is desperately poor. Speaking of which, Keane is put out of his misery, replaced by the returning Fernando Torres.

74 min: A strange one, this: Wallace skins Carragher down the Preston left, but once he reaches the byline chooses to dive instead of crossing into the danger area. The referee buys it, but justice is done as Cavalieri swallows the free kick with minimum fuss.

76 min: Torres turns Mawene wonderfully well and scoots off at pace down the centre of the pitch. Reaching the area, he shanks a terrible shot wildly right to much hilarity - but that was a decent run.

78 min: Gerrard takes down a long ball on the edge of the Preston box, turns, and attempts a looping shot into the top-left corner. It was heading there, but St Ledger blocks superbly to snuff out the danger. Wonderful defending. Liverpool are desperate for their second goal, which shows they're worried about a reinvigorated Preston. This is a decent cup tie now.

81 min: Chaplow, who has been relentless during this second half, is replaced by Barry Nicholson.

83 min: Fabio Aurelio replaces Mascherano.

85 min: Preston are flinging a couple of long balls into the mix but it's not a tactic that's working well: Liverpool appear to have drawn their sting.

86 min: Gerrard has a swipe from just outside the box, but it's easily claimed by Lonergan.

88 min: Babel gives away a needless free kick just inside his own half. Wallace lifts the ball into the box but Cavalieri leaps to claim without fuss.

89 min: Nicholson sends a poor free kick into the Liverpool box, allowing the visitors to break upfield. They're four on two, with Torres, Babel, Riera and Gerrard streaming upfield, but the passing is ponderous and Babel is eventually caught offside.

90 min: Liverpool have made a real meal of this. There will be three minutes of afters.

90 min +2: A slightly panicked Liverpool are now simply hoofing the ball upfield or into the stands, whichever seems easier at the time. Preston are not creating anything at all, having said all that.

90 min +3: Wow, Preston nearly carved out one last chance there, Nicholson picking up the ball on the edge of the area, shifting to the left, and only being denied a shot on goal by Carragher's last-ditch toe. Great defending.

90 min +3: GOAL!!! Preston 0-2 Liverpool. Preston, having committed everyone forward, can only watch in horror as Gerrard streaks away from the halfway line with the ball, runs right up to Lonergan, then rolls a pass left to Torres, who flicks into an empty net from two yards.

AND THAT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, IS THAT. Preston North End 0-2 Liverpool. That ended up as a bit of a struggle for Liverpool, who should have been miles ahead before Preston finally got their act together midway through the second half. Had they not won that, they would be justified in throwing a bagged-up Robbie Keane out the back window of their coach as it speeds homewards up the A6 later this evening. But they did, so happily that particularly ugly scenario need not take place.