Liverpool continued their unbeaten start to the season with a comfortable victory at Maine Road, with Michael Owen ramming the critics word down their throats. But it's funny how the tabloids have turned him from someone who can't score in the Grafton to the world's greatest just because an England game is looming.
Cup draws permitting, this was to be Liverpool's last visit to Maine Road and I doubt many Reds fans will miss the place. The area it is situated in is 'dodgy' to say the least, with the 'mind yer car' scam, something I thought only happened in Liverpool, quite abundant. As for the ground itself, it's better than Goodison, but worse than most others as anyone caught in the crush for the toilets will testify.
Liverpool took the game to City from the start, with Baros being narrowly beaten to the ball by Schmeicel in the first minute and Michael Owen having a shot saved in the second. But in the third the early pressure was rewarded when Owen crashed the ball in from close range after City;s defence botched the clearance of a corner. It may not have been Owen's best ever goal but after the unnecessary flack he's been taking lately I doubt he'll care.
City immediately struck back with Anelka looking particularly dangerous. He made light work of getting past Hyypia on the edge of the box but luckily there was nobody available to clear his cross. Fifteen minutes into the game Anelka could have levelled things when Huckerby shot across the face of the goal, but he was unable to reach the ball.
Liverpool were by now happy to go back to what they did best last season – sit back and absorb the pressure and hit on the break. Despite the absence of Henchoz with a hamstring injury, the defence coped easily enough and Djimi Traore was excellent in the centre.
Even Traore was having difficulty coping with the determined Anelka though. After 20 minutes he turned him brilliantly but his shot was deflected wide, then on 35 minutes his excellent long range effort curled just past the post. In between these attempts, Liverpool could have gone further ahead at the other end, but Hyypia's header was well saved by Schmeicel.
The big Dane also saved from Owen from point blank range after a great ball in by Steven Gerrard. Five minutes before half time City were demanding a penalty when Jamie Carragher appeared to handle when clearing a cross. Although replays showed the ball did connect with his arm, he had cleared the ball with his feet and it was a case of his arm being in the way than anything deliberate. The referee was spot on with his decision.
There was then a scare when Jerzy Dudek fell awkwardly in the box just before the break, but luckily he responded to treatment and came out for the second half. Five minutes after the restart, City had their best chance to draw level.
Berkovic's effort was uncharacteristically fumbled by Dudek, but when the ball bounced at the feet of the Israeli, he tried to set someone else up rather than shoot himself. Luckily for Dudek Berkovic played the ball straight into his hands, although the Reds keeper didn't really know much about it as he was lying on the ground trying to get his bearings at the time.
Both sides rang the changes. City brought on Goater for Huckerby to the delight of the home crowd, while for Liverpool Diouf replaced Baros. This may well be with Wednesday in mind. Baros had worked hard but the ball didn't really run for him and he was clearly upstaged by Owen. However, the form of Diouf is worrying. He looked nervous on the ball and managed to concede a foul before he had even touched it.
After 64 minutes Liverpool went 2-0 up with just about their first serious attack of the half. Gerrard's defence splitting pass was raced on to by Owen and despite the efforts of Sun Jihai to catch him, he fired the ball past Schmeicel into the net. A week ago in the same situation, it would probably have gone wide but Owen was suddenly resurgent and brimming with confidence, hitting the ball home without thinking.
City should have had an equaliser five minutes later from a corner but Foe's downward header bounced over the bar. Liverpool then tightened the defence even further and City had no further opportunities to get back into the game, being reduced to long shots and sending Schmeicel up for corners.
City's fans had given up by now and those that remained decided to goad Scousers rather than try and encourage their own team to get back in it. Unfortunately this was met with a response of a couple of Harold Shipman songs by a reasonably sized minority. They have been well rehearsed on coaches and only actually sung at Chester so far, but are not funny and sick and taking us on a road we don't want to go down again. If opposition fans started singing to us how great the Bulger killers were because they removed a Scouse kid from the streets there'd be a riot but the Shipman thing is no different.
But luckily the Shipman chants tailed off and on the whole the travelling support was excellent. 'The Fields of Anfield Road' was by far the best song of the afternoon, aired on several occasions. But there was also a nice rendition of YNWA in the final moments. This was interrupted however by the third goal.
Once again it was Michael Owen, running on to a long ball and beating Jihai before firing past Schmeicel. It was no more than he deserved and a great way to ram the cruel words written about him of late back down their throats.
On the whole it was a good solid performance from the Reds but not necessarily a great one. For long periods in the first half we were under pressure and this frustrated the Reds support. However we never really looked in danger and were threatening on the break. We may not have deserved to win by three goals, but we didn't deserve to draw against Newcastle so these things balance out.
As expected Michael is all over the back pages today (Sunday) but not for keeping Liverpool's unbeaten run going with a great hat trick. Instead it's all about how good it is for England that he's found his form with two Euro 2004 qualifiers coming up. Once again consequences for Liverpool are overlooked completely and the only thing the tabloids can see is the England picture. Same old story I suppose.
TEAM: Jerzy Dudek; Jamie Carragher,Djimi Traore, Sami Hyypia, John Arne Riise; Danny Murphy, Steven Gerrard, Didi Hamann, Emile Heskey; Milan Baros (El Hadji Diouf), Michael Owen:
