Laboured at times, the Spion Kop's hundredth birthday saw a victory which did not match the excitement of last season's FA Cup Final, but was just as important in the never-ending Premiership marathon.
West Ham showed they have enough quality to challenge for top half finished with a disciplined performance.
Proceedings started brightly with Liverpool playing towards the Kop end in buoyant mood after their lacklustre midweek performance.
Steven Gerrard scuffed a shot from distance wide of Roy Carroll's goal in only the fourth minute with the Reds fans incensed moments later when referee Wiley correctly waved away claims Peter Crouch's shirt had been tugged.
New full-back Fabio Aurelio showed off his cultured left foot after sending a free-kick spinning over the wall, but Paul Konchesky was alert enough to head off the line.
But it was West Ham that looked to have gatecrashed the Kop's centenary after Bobby Zamora, making his 50th league start, managed to beat Jose Reina at his near post with what looked suspiciously like a cross.
A neat turn by captain Nigel Reo-Coker released Zamora into the right channel with Reina only able to palm the mishit centre into the net on 12 minutes
Liverpool looked in disarray, Marlon Harewood was adjudged offside a minute later when put clean through by Yossi Benayoun.
The home side attempted to take the game back to the Hammers, displaying Benitez's customary style of quick feet and incisive passing to bring the ball out of defence.
However, in the final third attacking options petered out, save for a few crosses from Fabio Aurelio as West Ham defended in numbers.
The Hammers looked sharp on the counter-attack, Zamora was clear through after quick interplay but Reina rushed out to make a confidence-boosting clearance.
It fell to Liverpool's defence to provide the breakthrough as midfield struggled to create chances.
Supplied by Xabi Alonso, central-half Daniel Agger saw an empty midfield and drove through, unleashed a left-foot shot from 30yards which had pace and curl.
Carroll did not even respond as the outside of the boot strike ended up in the top left corner.
The Kop was then brought into full voice in the 45th minute as the Reds took the lead.
Luis Garcia, switching to the right flank, displayed his customary neat footwork to skip past two defenders on the edge of the area and put a sliderule ball through to Crouch.
The England frontman made no mistake as he dodged Carroll's advancing form and slotted the ball home between two defenders.
In the second half, Benitez threw on the latest solution to Liverpool's strikeforce problem in the form of new signing Dirk Kuyt.
He instantly entered the fray, first sending a low shot just wide of the post, then rising powerfully to meet a Luis Garcia cross.
Bellamy looked to have put the game beyond the visitors after he slotted the ball over a prone Carroll in the 67th minute, but he was harshly judged offside from Kuyt's deft flick.
The home side could not kill the game off, and were lucky not to be punished for it, Lee Bowyer managed to hit the post.
The ball arrived at the former Newcastle midfielder's feet at the edge of the six-yard box from John Paintsil's cross, but his stab bobbled and hit the outside of the woodwork.