The Sunday Times report

Eight contrary days in the life of Liverpool. Last weekend an emphatic defeat at Chelsea, here a rout at the expense of West Ham United who, three goals down after 25 minutes, never really recovered from their shell-shock. The final denouement to another mixed year on Merseyside could be interesting, too. Arsenal play at Anfield on Wednesday.

Liverpool's finest win of the season lifted them to third in the Premiership, and they achieved it at less than full strength, missing, most notably, Jamie Redknapp and Steve McManaman. But Michael Owen had returned from suspension, Jason McAteer was back in the starting XI, and each celebrated with goals.

"It was a team performance," said Roy Evans, the Liverpool manager, "which is what we try to preach here, and a great response to what happened at Chelsea. Numbers one to 11 all showed commitment." Another Uefa Cup place is assured, whereas West Ham's European ambitions have taken a battering.

Partly, Liverpool made such a feast of it because West Ham generously supplied the hors d'oeuvres. After three minutes, David Unsworth, under no pressure, misplaced his pass so awfully that McAteer, eight yards in front of him, had sufficient time to say his thank yous, look up and thread the ball into Owen's path. Owen requires no head start and his speed saw off the rest of the West Ham defence. A patient, angled finish then beat Bernard Lama.

If McAteer's part in the opening goal was down to good luck, his positioning for numbers two and three was down to good sense. No longer a wing-back in Liverpool's rehabilitated 4-4-2, McAteer enjoyed his space in midfield. "That's where he started his career," observed Evans. "I was very pleased for him." Whether Bjorn Tore Kvarme, operating behind him, is yet into the groove of full-back is less certain. The two players had one animated exchange suggesting otherwise.

Liverpool were first to everything in the opposition box. When Rio Ferdinand failed to clear West Ham lines, Oyvind Leonhardsen swooped, his volley parried out by Lama. McAteer then struck home the loose ball, over the prone goalkeeper.

McAteer was following up Owen's surge four minutes later when he swept in his second. The lead-up had Owen brought down by Lama in the area, but before you could say "penalty", it was 3-0 anyway. By the interval it was four. Leonhardsen's goal was also arrowed in from the edge of the box - a fine flourish on the end of a nimble turn by the Norwegian.

It might have been even worse for West Ham. Owen, described by Harry Redknapp, the West Ham manager, as "unplayable", broke clear of Ferdinand shortly after his opener to push a chance wide, Leonhardsen disposessed Steve Lomas - never easily done - but had his effort half-saved by Lama and scrambled clear, and Karlheinz Riedle saw his drive tipped on to the crossbar.

Paul Ince, too, made two surging runs into the danger zone, one horribly arrested by Eyal Berkovic's foul. Some among the West Ham following might have rather enjoyed that. A banner unfurled in the away section before the kick-off had asked the Liverpool captain "How's the jaw then Judas?", referring to the punch landed on Ince's face by a fan after England's most recent game against Portugal. The Ince jaw was well exercised marshalling the Liverpool midfield, and still more so when his appeals for a 70th-minute penalty were rejected.

By then, Ince's own hard, low, 20-yard drive had put Liverpool five goals to the good against his old club. At the whistle, he gave the visiting supporters a wide grin. And they gave him a wide berth.

Liverpool: Friedel, Kvarme, Babb, Harkness, Bjornebye, McAteer, Carragher, Ince, Leonhardsen, Owen, Riedle.

West Ham United: Lama, Pearce, Lomas, Ferdinand, Unsworth, Lazaridis, Moncur (Omoyinmi 75min), Lampard, Berkovic (Abou 52min), Sinclair, Kitson (Mean 84min).

Scorers: Liverpool: Owen 4, McAteer 21, 25, Leonhardsen 45, Ince 61.

Referee: J Winter (Stockton-on-Tees).

Attendance: 44,414.

League position: 3rd (62 points after 36 matches).

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