Houllier: nobody wins the title in September
Just hours after the Gunners had completed their annihilation of Leeds, Houllier watched his team deliver the perfect response with a clinical demolition of City’s 24-match unbeaten home record.
Michael Owen’s hat-trick took the headlines and the striker’s return to form after just a single penalty in his previous nine outings was particularly pleasing for his manager.
But the thoughts immediately turned to Arsenal, who seem to be blazing a trail at the top of the table which few can match - apart from Liverpool anyway.
‘‘Arsenal are flying at the moment but we will be as well at some stage,’’ said Houllier.
‘‘Nobody wins the title in September. We have only lost one game in our last 25 and out of our last 12 away games we have won nine.
‘‘You also have to look at the age of our team. Milan Baros and John Arne Riise are only 21. Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard are 22 and there are others who are only 23.
‘‘It is a young team but the talent is there and we have a good record.’’
Owen has already found himself on the Anfield substitutes’ bench once this season and there had been speculation he would be left out again for the Maine Road visit.
As it was, Houllier kept faith in the stand-in England skipper and was rewarded with a superb performance which blasted away any doubts over Owen’s abilities.
He broke his duck with a close-range volley after just four minutes when City failed to take one of numerous attempts to clear a Danny Murphy corner.
The second came in the second half when he held off Sun Jihai’s challenge after Gerrard had expertly threaded a pass through the static home defence.
His eighth Liverpool hat-trick was wrapped up in the final minute when he reacted quickest to reach Gerrard’s long punt forward, again holding off Sun and smashing his shot off the inside of Peter Schmeichel’s near post.
‘‘I imagine he will get a few now,’’ said Houllier.
‘‘He is not a bitter person and the criticism hasn’t been getting to him, other than the fact he has not been smiling as much in training on days after he has missed a few chances.
‘‘He doesn’t have anything to prove. He just has to be himself and keep working hard.’’
Owen had other chances as well in a game Liverpool controlled, despite allowing City long periods of possession.
On his return from European suspension Dietmar Hamann dominated the midfield exchanges, showing the Merseysiders just what they had missed during the disappointing midweek draw with FC Basle.
It was another salutary lesson for City boss Kevin Keegan, whose stated aim of a top-six finish is looking more ambitious by the week.
Without suspended skipper Ali Benarbia, the home side lacked a creative element to their game and Nicolas Anelka toiled valiantly with little support up front.
With Jon Macken and Paulo Wanchope long-term absentees, Keegan has little option other than to stick with misfiring Darren Huckerby, who blew a great chance to equalise Owen’s opener when he somehow got Shaun Wright-Phillips’ cut-back stuck under his feet.
‘‘We have to learn some lessons very quickly,’’ said Keegan.
‘‘There is nothing wrong with the commitment but some players are struggling and we have to stop giving goals away.
‘‘At the moment this is relegation form. We are a good team which is not looking good enough for the Premiership.’’
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