Michael Owen found the perfect way to silence his critics by scoring twice as a rampant Liverpool side condemned Portsmouth to another week in the bottom three.
England striker Owen described his latest penalty anguish as the lowest moment of his illustrious career and the omens against Pompey didn't look good.
The South Coast club dumped Liverpool out of the FA Cup and also got the better of them in their first league meeting.
Under-fire Reds manager Gerard Houllier must have thought the Portsmouth jinx was set to stay where his captain, Steven Gerrard, was felled in the box in the third minute only for his penalty appeal to be rebuffed.
But Liverpool have nine games left to make amends for a turbulent season and went ahead in the sixth minute with enough style to convert the hardest detractor.
Owen's cross deep on the left found the ever faithful right boot of Dietmar Hamann whose first-time 20-yard volley fizzed passed Shaka Hislop before he barely had time to react.
Owen was playing with a new-found verve and a mazy run and shot on 15 minutes showed fans a glimpse of the form that made him England's finest.
And it was inevitable when the Merseysiders went 2-0 up that Owen was the scorer. He pounced on a defensive blunder on 28 minutes to slam the ball past a helpless Hislop.
But Liverpool rarely give their fans an easy ride and two quick Pompey chances had the back four in jitters.
Dejan Stefanovic rifled a left-foot free-kick off the underside of the bar and in the 48th minute on-loan striker Lomana Tresor LuaLua could only fluff his shot from six yards after finding acres of space inside the box.
But it was always set to be Owen's day and the rejuvenated striker bagged his second of the night on 57 minutes heading home superbly from Gerrard's cross to send the Kop into raptures.
Danny Murphy came close to adding a fourth on 66 minutes but dragged his right-foot shot against the foot of the left-hand upright.
And the same post was rattled again with ten minutes left when Emile Heskey met Harry Kewell's cross from the right with a glancing header.
The travelling Portsmouth fans remained defiant and vocal until the end despite the prospect of relegation becoming ever more realistic.
Meanwhile jubilant Liverpool supporters celebrated moving in to fifth spot ahead of Newcastle on goal difference and ever nearer the coveted Champions League place.