The normally sanguine Spaniard has cast-off his laidback approach to shoot from the lip of late, the Premier League's vetoing of his move for defender Gabriel Heinze and the perceived inequalities of the fixture computer incurring the Liverpool manager's wrath.

His mood was eased somewhat as Benitez saw his side remain unbeaten with their best start to a Premier League season in five years as they cruised to an embarrassingly one-sided victory in a part of the world where they have tasted defeat just once in almost 50 years.

If ever there was a 2-0 hammering then this was it.

Sunderland's effort and commitment cannot be questioned, but their quality certainly could.

Manager Roy Keane plans to bolster his squad with the �5m acquisition of Kenwyne Jones, the Southampton striker, but on this evidence, further recruits are urgently needed before Friday's transfer deadline.

That it took 87 minutes for the visitors to finally seal victory bordered on the unbelievable, Andriy Voronin cutting in to beat Craig Gordon, the outstanding Sunderland keeper who denied the Ukranian a hat-trick, from 10 yards after a flowing crossfield move involving Ryan Babel, Jermaine Pennant and Fernando Torres undid a tiring Sunderland defence.

The result had been in little doubt from the moment Momo Sissoko opened the scoring on 37 minutes with the club's 7,000th league goal.

As with most of Liverpool's good work, Voronin was involved, teeing-up Pennant's knock-back for Sissoko after Xabi Alonso's searching cross-field ball stretched the hosts.

Anthony Stokes, on early for the injured Kieran Richardson, went close in each half for Sunderland, but an appearance on the scoresheet would have greatly flattered Keane's side, who according to their manager could take another four or five games to fully adjust to the rarified air of the Premier League.

They will encounter few better sides than Liverpool, the only only drawback for whom was the loss through injury of defenders Sami Hyypia, with blurred vision and a suspected broken nose, and Jamie Carragher with what could be a broken rib.

"Sami lost his vision in his left eye but I don't think it's serious, " Benitez revealed.

"We need to check his nose because it could be broken.

"Jamie might have a broken rib but I don't know how long either player will be out for.

We need to check with the doctors first but when you have injuries it gives you a chance to see if the squad is strong enough."

Sunderland would have been on the wrong end of something resembling a cricket score had it not been for Gordon. The Scot's �9m price-tag may well be overinflated, but the club record signing proved his worth with four outstanding saves to keep the scoreline respectable.

Voronin was on the wrong end of the first and last of those stops at either end of the contest, the first after just 23 seconds as Gordon beat out a shot after the forward pounced on Greg Halford's weak back-pass.

Then the keeper's legs were put to good use at the death to deny the same player as gaps appeared in Sunderland's defence.

"Our keeper was a bit busy, wasn't he?" Keane conceded.

Either side of half-time, Torres, who stood out with his approach play, saw the keeper pounce on a goalbound header at the second attempt, before beating out a low shot in a one-on-one as Liverpool tried but failed to secure a nerve-soothing second goal until its arrival late on.

"I would have liked us to kill it off earlier for the good of my health if nothing else, " Benitez added.

Keane - who is unlikely to pursue his interest in Champions League-winning defender Sammy Kuffour - though never one to take defeat lightly, was at least happier at the manner of this loss compared to last week's surrender at Wigan Athletic.

"Sometimes you lose to a bigger, stronger squad and you just have to take your medicine, " he said.

"I don't like losing but I'm a lot happier than I was than after Wigan because we hung in there."