Five star Reds blitz Moscow

Liverpool 5 Spartak Moscow 0

A five-goal blitz left nobody in any doubt that they are finding their form and their shooting boots at just the right time.

They swamped a depressed, deflated Moscow side in a sensational opening in which Emile Heskey, Bruno Cheyrou and Sami Hyypia got the bandwagon rolling.

Steven Gerrard was a stunning, all-action local hero, while Michael Owen who didn't score but created two goals tore the heart out of the Russians.

Houllier declared: "Michael Owen may not have scored, but he was excellent, he created chances for others. Maybe we didn't need him to score this time, just let the rest do it. He scores goals to win matches and this time he made goals for others to do the same."

Liverpool had to wait until the last 10 minutes for further goals from Salif Diao and Heskey, Valencia battered Basle 6-2, meaning the Merseysiders are now second in the group with high hopes of reaching the last 16.

Liverpool knew they needed to get their Group B act together after a worrying, disjointed start to this season's European campaign and they did just that with a devastating display of attacking flair at a furious pace.

The home side had Stephane Henchoz back from a hamstring injury but Houllier opted to leave four-goal striker Milan Baros on the bench.

The barrage started on three minutes when Danny Murphy's touch sent John Arne Riise racing down the left and from his cross, Gerrard hit a first time shot from 12 yards which was blocked by a desperate lunge from Moura Moises.

Liverpool took a sixth-minute lead when Owen stepped aside to let Heskey guide Riise's long clearance with ease past Stanislav Cherchessov.

Manager Houllier crowed: "Emile had power, strength and speed, and that was very important against Moscow, he was outstanding. "It was the right time to put Emile back in as a striker. He was excellent against Manchester City, and he was important for us against Spartak with his qualities." Henchoz was booked for a foul on Alexander Pavlenko on 10 minutes, and two minutes later Dmitri Kudriashov was cautioned for bringing down Cheyrou.

But the French international gained almost instant revenge 60 seconds later, when he took a Murphy pass into the box and calmly slipped home Liverpool's second goal and his first for the club.

Brazilian Moises was booked for cutting down Gerrard on 27 minutes, a challenge from a defender totally destroyed by a quick, clever turn from the England man.

And Moscow were punished further from the free-kick, again curled in by Murphy, and this time met by Hyypia's head and guided into the net off a post for Liverpool's third goal.

Murphy almost added a fourth himself with a display of jinking, close control past three men on the edge of the box which left him with a snapshot gratefully held by Cherchessov. Moscow's torment continued unabated after the break. Gerrard's own personal torture of the Russians saw him force Cherchessov into another save, before Baye Kebe became the third Moscow man to be booked for a foul on the all-action midfielder.

Russian World Cup man Kovtun had a nightmare trying to contain Heskey, and it was not long before he too was in the book for a foul almost scored with a shot which hit Cherchessov's legs, and then sent in a chip which Heskey thumped into the goalkeeper's knees from six yards.

Gerrard's overall display made him a constant target for defenders, and after he had picked himself up yet again this time following a Kebe foul he was sensibly taken off by Houllier, with Diao taking over.

It took the Senegalese midfielder five minutes to score his first goal for the club.

Owen won the ball in midfield and hit a 40-yard pass to Heskey on the left, the big striker neatly chipping the ball in for Diao to rise and head home.

Owen unselfishly set up Heskey for Liverpool's fifth goal with three minutes to go, capping a perfect end to a great night for the Anfield outfit. LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Carragher, Henchoz (Traore 67), Hyypia, Riise, Murphy, Hamann, Gerrard (Diao 76), Cheyrou (Diouf 82), Owen, Heskey.

SPARTAK MOSCOW: Cherchessov, Khlestov (Bezrodny 26), Moises, Mitreski, Kovtun (Abramidze 63), Kalinichenko, Kudriashov (Da Silva 50), Pavlenko, Kebe, Beschastnykh, Danilenko.