Liverpool triumph in season's first Merseyside derby

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. For all Everton's bravery, effort and a string of clear chances - most falling to Wayne Rooney - Liverpool out-played and out thought them.

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, with 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Filed by Barry J Whyte