It was one of those moments that evidently meant so much more than the handful of seconds it took for the ball to arc audaciously, astoundingly, over the head of the opposition goalkeeper. Jordan Henderson hit the ball with ferocious sweetness. He turned away from the goal and ran. A few paces later he sank to his knees. Yes, of course, a wondrous strike in itself is worthy of a showy celebration. But this was about more than the goal. This was soaked with catharsis.

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Henderson has not had the easiest of periods. He has had his doubters and still plays underneath the question mark of whether he is or ever can be a worthy successor to Steven Gerrard as the midfield captain. Etching his own identity in the team has been a challenge, with injury lulls dragging him back and momentum hard to build. His position in the XI was an issue that hung over from last season, where he suffered the personal disappointment of watching Liverpool’s Europa League final as an unused substitute. He had pushed himself to regain fitness for a special night but never got on the pitch. His opposite number from Sevilla hoisted the silver.

While many debated, Jürgen Klopp never lost faith. “He has a lot of pressure on his shoulders and he gets better and better and better,” the manager said proudly. Henderson’s moment at Stamford Bridge was impeccably timed. With Liverpool leading after Dejan Lovren appeared at the far post without the inconvenience of any marking to concern him to plant in the opener, the rest of the first half was spent pressing for more. When Daniel Sturridge danced into the area and steered wide, Klopp threw himself backwards into his seat. A manager who clearly sends his team out to attack in emphatic surges wanted another goal to show for their efforts against a Chelsea defence that was confused and disconnected. Henderson delivered magnificently, seizing Gary Cahill’s tepid clearance with stylish opportunism. It was a glorious goal but also the cushion Klopp sensed they would need. It turned out to be decisive.

Liverpool may still need some defensive tweaking but they have been more prolific than any other team in 2016. They hit the half-century during their 4-1 demolition of Leicester last weekend and surpassed it at Chelsea. The most intriguing element of the latest flurry was that it epitomised the variety in their team attacking, with goals coming from a defender and a notionally holding midfielder. In fact the only defender who did not make inroads to try to do damage in front of goal was the ever sensible, stand-in left-back James Milner.

It was at Stamford Bridge last season that the Klopp Liverpool ideology really kick-started, a 3-1 victory that crackled with electricity. It set the tone for what makes this current incarnation of Liverpool such a threat. Last season’s standout results on the road owed much to the thrill of the attacking chase – 4-1 at Manchester City, 6-1 at Southampton, 5-4 at Norwich, 6-0 at Aston Villa. The goals continue to flow.

The variety in their options beguiles. Roberto Firmino, excellent in recent matches, was out with a groin injury, Sturridge was granted a start in a big away game but disappointed. He did not spend too much time on the same wavelength as his high-energy team-mates but with Coutinho’s craft, Adam Lallana’s effervescence and Sadio Mané’s raw speed they are not short of possibilities.

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The beauty of Klopp’s goal-hungry approach is that the mood is infectious. It is not just about the forward players. With the understandable exception of the goalkeeper, every Liverpool player wants – and has licence – to maraud forwards.

The question of how far Liverpool can go is an intriguing one. It concerns the back end of the team more than the front foot. Chelsea twisted the direction of traffic in the second half and pushed Liverpool back, cranking up the pressure when Diego Costa notched his fifth goal of the season.

The fade, the possibility to allow a team they have dominated back into the match, is something Klopp needs to address as Liverpool have conceded in the second half in their outings at Arsenal, Tottenham and Chelsea once their flexed muscles began to tire. Of course, even if they did dip, they did not cave in, which speaks of an improving resilience.

They hung on here and can reflect on an impressive start from a tough run of fixtures. With away trips at the Emirates, White Hart Lane and now Stamford Bridge safely negotiated, and Leicester comfortably beaten, this is a clarion call of ambition. At the final whistle Klopp saluted his players with typical enthusiasm. He whacked Henderson on the back. As the captain walked off he could not have looked more chuffed.