It's been a long time coming, but Liverpool finally managed to give an inferior side the kind of hammering which should be a regular occurrence, but isn't.
Time and again poor sides are given too much respect by the reds' management, and big wins for the reds are about as frequent as Duncan Ferguson goals. So it was great to see a Liverpool side put someone to the sword, and more importantly, not settle for just doing enough. The reds' continued to pour forward right til the final whistle, and it's not an exagerration to say that had the score finished 12-0 it wouldn't have been undeserved given the chances created.
West Brom were truly dreadful, make no mistake, and one big win over the hapless Baggies does not suddenly make everything in the Anfield garden rosy. However it would be extremely churlish to use the ineptitude of the opposition to take the shine off what was a fabulous performance by the reds, who were a joy to watch and played their best football of the season.
The catalyst for their free flowing play was the unstoppable front pairing of Owen and Baros. Quite simply, West Brom's depleted backline had no answer to the former European Footballer of the Year and his young sidekick. Fans have been calling out for Baros to be given the opportunity to form a partnership with Owen for months, but Houllier had stubbornly refused to relent from his obsession with Heskey.
Had Heskey not picked up one of his regular 'injuries' then there's every chance that Milan would have been benched for this game, but thankfully he got the nod and Heskey was left on the sidelines.
The only argument I ever hear for why Heskey should partner Owen is that he links up better with Michael than Milan does. This particular myth - as that's what it is, I mean when was the last time you saw Heskey create anything for Owen? - was exploded in spectacular fashion at the Hawthorns, as Baros created three of Owen's four goals, and wreaked havoc in the home defence every time he got the ball.
It's easy to see why the Baggies were relegated, as they simply couldn't compete with a rampant Liverpool side, who passed and moved to a standard not witnessed since the last time they hit six goals - at Ipswich last season.
West Brom were deprived of several key players, most notably in defence where Darren Moore and Phil Gilchrist were sorely missed. Gerrard, Murphy and Diouf picked holes in their makeshift defence at will, and Owen and Baros will probably never have an easier day in a red shirt.
The only shock was that at half time, there was only one goal separating the sides. That goal came, inevitably, from the in form Owen. Baros eluded a challenge and slipped the ball to Michael, and the little number ten cleverly dummied and was past Clement before he knew what was happening. A devastatingly accurate right foot finish found the bottom corner of the net. Owen at his best.
Owen has been getting sharper by the week, and right now he's in the form of his life. The difference between this Michael Owen and the one of the past few years, is that he's now doing what he did in his youth team days and his early senior career. He's running at defenders and making chances for himself. Allied to his clever running and eye for goal, there's no hotter striker than St Michael right now.
Russel Hoult needed to be at his best to stop Owen reaching his 100th Premiership goal before half time. The Albion keeper denied Owen with two brilliant saves, and also frustrated Baros on numerous occasions.
Milan could have had a first half hat-trick, as every time Liverpool went forward a goal looked to be on the cards. The Czech frontman looked to be brimming with confidence, until it came to finishing, where he appeared hesitant and nervy at times. Understandable, considering he probably feels if he doesn't find the back of the net he'll be back on the bench for the next game.
The youngster terrorised the Albion backline with his strong running and elusiveness, and was denied a blatant penalty when he was brought down from behind in the act of shooting. A penalty was the least we should have got, and a red card for the offending tackler would not have been out of the question either. Or maybe that rule only applies when the foul is on a United player at Old Trafford?
On another day, that refereeing error could have proved costly, but in truth Albion were never seriously going to threaten the reds. Maybe if Dichio had hit the target from a free header following a corner things could have been slightly different, but I doubt it.
The second half saw an avalanche of goals from the reds, with two goals in as many minutes just after the break killing off any resistence from the home side. Both came courtesy of right wing crosses from the dominant Gerrard. The first was miscued by Owen, and Baros made very hard work of getting the ball over the line, but got there in the end.
The second was a carbon copy. This time it was Baros who fluffed the first effort, and Owen just about beat him to the loose ball to grab his second of the game, and his 100th Premiership strike. Quite an achievement for one still so young.
After that it was just a case of how many the reds would get. Chance after chance was created, as Owen and Baros gorged themselves on some excellent service from Gerrard and Murphy.
The fourth goal was the pick of the bunch. Owen released Baros down the right, and the lively youngster mesmerised three defenders before teeing the ball up for Owen who had continued his run, and finished with customary ease. It was a wonderful goal, which demonstrated perfectly the promise of the Owen/Baros partnership.
Owen missed a great chance after being freed by Gerrard, and Baros continued to be somewhat wasteful, before Michael grabbed his fourth when he latched onto Murphy's astute through ball and beat Holt with a low shot. The sixth and final goal arrived when Gerarrd played a ball into Baros' path, and hehad the freedom of the Hawthorns to run through unopposed and finish comfortably for his second of the game.
Owen was the undoubted star, but Baros ran him close. The whole team were on top form today, apart from Riise who looked a bit below par before going off with a hamstring injury. He wasn't bad, but he just wasn't quite up the standard of his team-mates. Special mention for Djimi Traore, who was absolutely faultless at the back, and showed no sign of a hangover from his error against Charlton.
I have to say the West Brom fans were magnificent. Even at 6-0 down they cheered on their relegated side, just hoping for a consolation goal. They would have had it too had it not been for the agility of Dudek, and some good goal-line defending from Hyypia (although TV replays later showed it was over the line).
I also thought the Baggies support was excellent at Anfield, and I really hope they can come back up next year. Of all the Midlands clubs, the Baggies are the least irritating. For them to be singing their managers name at 6-0, after they had been relegated was incredible. They deserve something to cheer about next year.
The travelling support were also in good form. just as it has been all season, and this performance was just reward for some of the dross we've had to endure. A repeat of this at Stamford Bridge in fortnight would be nice!
