Liverpool began their League Cup campaign with a straightforward win at League One side MK Dons on Wednesday.
After James Milner put the much-changed visitors ahead before the break, Ki-Jana Hoever netted to earn the Reds a 2-0 triumph.
The result meant Jurgen Klopp's side reached the last 16 for the first time in three years where they will entertain Arsenal.
But there was plenty that went unnoticed or under the radar during the 90 minutes at Stadium MK.
Elliott style not cramped
It was quite the evening for Harvey Elliott, the summer signing who at 16 years 174 days old became the youngest player to start a game for Liverpool.
He could have marked it with a goal early on, only to hit the crossbar from a matter of yards.
Unsurprisingly, Elliott tired during the second half, but came alive in the closing moments with a run and shot that ended with him once again striking the woodwork.
At the final whistle, though, enough was enough, the teenager hitting the deck with cramp. To be fair, he'd done his bit by then.
Milner's interrupted celebration
If Liverpool's line-up at Milton Keynes was very much with one eye on the future, it was a long-standing present that led the way.
Milner, outstanding throughout, set up the second goal for Hoever having opened the scoring before the break when his piledriver was fumbled over the line by home goalkeeper Stuart Moore.
Milner, nevertheless, celebrated his first goal from open play since last December.
But he pointedly momentarily halted his delight to congratulate Elliott on a job well done in the opening 41 minutes. A real skipper's knock, that.
Liverpool keep the ball
There were times during Wednesday's match where it seemed as though MK Dons were being a bit too compliant.
And that certainly became apparent when assessing the statistics.
The Reds had 78% of possession - their highest total since claiming 80% of the ball in the 4-1 Premier League, and their biggest percentage on the road since they had 80% at Burnley in August 2016.
Liverpool lost that game 2-0. There would be no repeat this time, though.
Reds big box office again
Stadium MK had never seen anything like it before. At least not where MK Dons were concerned.
A crowd of 28,521 watched Liverpool progress to the fourth round, with 6,692 of them in the away end.
It was the highest attendance to watch MK Dons at their home ground, although a bit short of the stadium record 30,048 that witnessed the Rugby Union World Cup clash between Fiji and Uruguay in 2015.
Indeed, Liverpool were greeted very much like the European champions they are.
