 Goals
Owen 38
Owen 51
Kewell 79
Match
Report
Liverpool completed their fourth successive Merseyside derby win
at Goodison Park to lift the intense pressure on Gerard Houllier.
Michael Owen netted twice, to add to his goals in the two previous
Liverpool wins at Everton, with Harry Kewell scoring his first for
his new club.
Houllier, who has never lost a derby at Everton, has at last seen
his side win a league game this term and end the embarrassment of
not scoring a goal from open play.
But for all Everton's bravery, effort and a string of clear chances
- most falling to Wayne Rooney - Liverpool out-played and out thought
them.
Everton lost 'keeper Richard Wright before the game with a knee
injury, Steve Simonsen stepping in.
But the surprise was that Houllier stuck with the same attack-minded
side that were unable to break down Tottenham in midweek.
The game started as you would expect from such a showdown. A 90
second booking, the offender being Gary Naysmith for sending El-Hadji
Diouf flying.
The pace of Everton's front men, expected to really bother Liverpool,
was immediately obvious.
Rooney almost got a telling contact with a low Alessandro Pistone
cross to the near post, and then Tomasz Radzinski was too hurried
from a good position with a shot that strayed wide.
The Everton hounding continued when Rooney's neat touch sent Radzinski
racing down the right to cut into the box and fire a shot just wide
of the far post.
Liverpool had looked shaky and indecisive trying to contain Everton's
attacks, but they finally broke out with Kewell missing two chances
to put them ahead.
First, Kewell saw a 12 yard drive charged down by Steve Watson.
The ball was swiftly lifted back into the box, turned on by Sami
Hyypia and then hammered over the bar by Kewell.
Two minutes later Radzinski must have thought he was clear. He
raced into the box, but was caught by Igor Biscan, who produced
an outstanding saving tackle on the Canadian.
Then Everton had their best chance so far when Steve Finnan's misplaced
pass fell to Naysmith, who drilled a 20 yard that Jerzy Dudek saved
to his right.
Steve Watson was booked for a foul on Diouf on 33 minutes, a long
succession of Everton fouls penalised by Mike Riley.
But Liverpool slowly got a grip on their game and on 38 minutes,
after a good spell of control and possession, they took the lead
- their first goal from open play this term - when Kewell's ball
exposed Everton at the heart of their defence and Michael Owen was
in the clip his shot home off a post.
Two minutes later Rooney jinked from midfield, found Watson and
took his return to force Dudek into a fine block.
Owen and Kewell forced fine saves from Simonsen as Liverpool finished
the half on top.
Everton changed things at the break, Gravesen coming on to add
drive to the midfield with Naysmith dropping back to replaced David
Unsworth.
And Dudek was required to make fine saves from a 25 yarder from
Mark Pembridge and a close range Rooney header.
But Liverpool, and in particular Kewell, were growing in confidence.
The Aussie forced Simonsen into a fine save, managed to get himself
booked and then helped set up Liverpool's second on 52 minutes.
Kewell's 60 yard pass down the left was chased by Baros who held
of Joseph Yobo and moved into the box to lay the ball back for Owen
to drill home his second.
Rooney should have scored when put away on the right, but his shot
missed the far post.
Owen forced Simonsen into a plunging save before Rooney wasted
another chance, heading wide from Tobias Linderoth's cross.
Duncan Ferguson came on for Linderoth while Emile Heskey and Danny
Murphy took over from Baros and Vladimir Smicer.
Ferguson lashed a 25 yard free kick against the bar, but Liverpool
finished things off on 79 minutes.
Simonsen rushed out of his box on the left, did not get the ball
and Owen drilled it across the area for Kewell, arriving from the
left, to fire home his first goal for the club.
All that was left was for Rooney, who had been asking for it all
afternoon, to get booked for dissent, which summed up Everton's
frustrating day.
Press Association
Teams
Everton: Simonsen, Pistone, Yobo, Stubbs, Unsworth,
Watson, Linderoth, Pembridge, Naysmith, Radzinski, Rooney. Subs:
Weir, Ferguson, Gravesen, Chadwick, Turner.
Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan, Biscan, Hyypia, Carragher,
Gerrard, Diouf, Smicer, Kewell, Baros, Owen. Subs: Heskey, Murphy,
Diao, Riise, Kirkland.
Referee: M Riley (W Yorkshire)
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Audio/Video
Reaction
Post
match comments - Houllier, Kewell and Owen
 Liverpool
manager Gerard
Houllier
The
BBC's Dave
Woods
All audio and video requires RealPlayer and is
from the BBC unless otherwise stated.
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Other
Media Reports
BBC
Sport 'Liverpool romp to Victory'
The
Guardian 'Liverpool thump Everton'
Sky
'Owen and Kewell slay Everton'
Independent
'Owen adds finishing touch to Houllier's spirit of adventure'
Sunday
Times 'Houllier shrugs off the blues'
Sunday
Mirror 'Dead? You must be joking'
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