If Liverpool go on to claim their first Premier League title they may well look back at this result as the one that clinched it for them.

The game was petering out into a disappointing goalless draw for Liverpool when Vladimir Smicer cracked home a magnificent volley to snatch all three points off Chelsea in stoppage time.

Liverpool had scarcely deserved more than a point for their display up until that moment, and had Mario Stanic or Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink shown more composure then the Reds might easily have lost.

But Smicer's goal means Liverpool have replaced Manchester United as league leaders.

The Reds have a one-point lead over their fierce rivals and two over Arsenal, who are nicely tucked in having played two games fewer than the top two.

It had all been so different for much of the match, and if any side had looked like scoring it was Chelsea.

Gerard Houllier was in his dug-out once again directing operations and, just as he had on Tuesday against Roma, he received a great reception from the delighted Liverpool fans.

But this time there was not the same urgency about Liverpool's play, and instead it was Chelsea who first seized the initiative.

Emmanuel Petit, restored to the Chelsea side, shot wide - and then Hasselbaink blasted a free-kick into the Liverpool wall.

The real action was on the touchline. Liverpool assistant manager Phil Thompson jumped from his dug-out to remonstrate with fourth official Jeff Winter, after referee Mark Halsey failed to award Liverpool a free-kick for a handball by Marcel Desailly.

Not to be out-shouted, Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri then sprang to the edge of his technical area to dispute a throw-in with Winter whose ears must still have been ringing after Thompson's blast.

Jesper Gronkjaer then escaped down the right and played a dangerous ball in behind the Liverpool defence, which the stretching Eidur Gudjohnsen steered just wide.

Chelsea were inching closer to that first goal, and after Jamie Carragher had been booked for pushing over Gronkjaer the Blues should have scored on 26 minutes.

Petit played Gudjohnsen in on the left and he chipped the ball back from the byline to the back post, where Stanic hit a volley which Jerzy Dudek expertly parried.

The loose ball fell to Hasselbaink, who blasted over. Liverpool were forced to make the first change two minutes later when Steven Gerrard came off injured to be replaced by Smicer.

Gerrard looked in some discomfort, and watching England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson probably knew before being told that the midfielder is more than likely out of his squad for Wednesday's friendly against Italy at Elland Road.

Celestine Babayaro became the second player to be cautioned for pulling down Emile Heskey, while Carragher was somewhat fortunate to escape a second yellow and a red card for a foul on Frank Lampard.

Liverpool needed to step up not just one but several gears in the second half, and on the sidelines Michael Owen continued to warm up those trying hamstrings - knowing his introduction was looming.

Heskey did go close with a glancing header from John Arne Riise's free-kick on the left before Owen duly entered the fray on 57 minutes.

The England striker came on for Abel Xavier, and Heskey moved back to the left wing. It was Chelsea, though, who should have opened the scoring - and Gronkjaer wastefully shot wide from Lampard's great ball.

Finally Liverpool stirred.

William Gallas halted the twisting and turning Owen in the box, and then Riise drove a left-foot shot into the arms of Carlo Cudicini - almost winding the Italian.

Nicolas Anelka beat Cudicini only for the effort to be disallowed for offside as Liverpool stepped up the pressure.

But then Hasselbaink missed a great chance to win the game for Chelsea three minutes from time when he shot over after playing a one-two with substitute Gianfranco Zola to unlock the Reds' defence.

Smicer was not so wasteful - and when in the first minute of stoppage time Heskey got down the left flank and sent over a delightful cross the Czech international met it with a superb volley.

It was his third goal of the season, but by far his most important.

Teams

Liverpool: Dudek, Xavier (Owen 57), Henchoz, Hyypia, Carragher, Murphy, Hamann, Gerrard (Smicer 28), Riise, Heskey, Anelka (Litmanen 83).

Subs Not Used: Arphexad, McAllister.

Booked: Carragher.

Goals: Smicer 90.

Chelsea: Cudicini, Melchiot, Desailly, Gallas, Babayaro, Stanic, Lampard, Petit, Gronkjaer, Hasselbaink, Gudjohnsen (Zola 82).

Subs Not Used: de Goey, Dalla Bona, Terry, Forssell.

Booked: Babayaro.

Att: 44,203

Ref: M Halsey (Welwyn Garden City).