'There was no problem, as far as I was concerned. I was just a bit late, that was all. It was the kind of thing that happens in the midfield battle in every game. It is part of football.'
While impressive winners Arsenal fired most of the warning shots, Gerrard's typically
unyielding stance sent out just as chilling a message to his midfield adversaries.
There may be none of the brashness that led to Paul Ince proclaiming himself 'The Guv'nor' during his reign as Manchester United's midfield enforcer, but the quietly-spoken 22-year-old's demeanour on the field leaves little room for doubting his aspirations.
The steely resolve common to Ince and current Old Trafford overlord Roy Keane burns within Gerrard and is driving him on in his single-minded quest to become the most complete midfielder in England, if not Europe.
There may be skirmishes along the way, such as his altercation with Dennis Wise at Stamford Bridge and last season's two-footed lunge at George Boateng that saw him red- carded against Aston Villa at Anfield.
But while he admitted his folly over the Boateng incident, the lack of an apology for Vieira suggests the increasingly streetwise Gerrard is ready to
fight fire with fire to achieve his goal of conquering the Premiership on a personal level as well as from his team's point of view.
Long ago, it used to be the maxim of full backs to make an opposing winger's first touch of the ball as brief and painful as possible. There is clearly a place for that uncompromising style in the modern- day game, according to Gerrard.
Sparks may fly but, as a born competitor who views it as a natural starting point for disputing midfield territory, Gerrard will continue to argue that the occasional bruised limb is nothing more than an occupational hazard.
He can count on support from Gerard Houllier, too, after the Liverpool manager rounded on his compatriot Wenger yesterday and insisted that Gerrard had been wrongly condemned for the Vieira challenge.
'Everyone is being very unfair on Stevie,' he said. 'I have seen the incident-on television and although he deserved to be cautioned, it was not a red-card offence.
'He actually got the ball and there has been an over-reaction in some parts. I don't believe the tackle was reckless at all. It was late but in no way malicious. There was far more to the game than that tackle, and I believe we saw that the real Steven Gerrard is on his way back.
'He sacrificed a trip to the World Cup to have an operation on his groin and now we are seeing the benefit.
' That decision showed he means business with Liverpool and I am convinced his problems are now behind him.'
Houllier, meanwhile, is not the only one singing the praises of his new £3.7million midfield signing Bruno Cheyrou, with France coach Jacques Santini naming him as one of four uncapped players for next week's friendly against Tunisia.
