Good times set to roll for Liverpool

Liverpool 4 Manchester City 2

Gerard Houllier's re -invented, re -awakened and revivalist side yesterday provided confirmation that Anfield's barren years will soon be nothing more than a bad memory.

For the similarities between Liverpool and Manchester United - the team they so desperately want to emulate - now number far more than The Kop's reworking of the Eric Cantona 'anthem' which they utilise to revere their own French inspiration.

Yesterday, it was Jari Litmanen who capped a visionary first-half display with the opening goal from the penalty spot, while Emile Heskey, Vladimir Smicer and Markus Babbel ensured that Manchester City would be dispatched as expected as Liverpool's ninth game without defeat produced an FA Cup quarter-final at either Southampton or Tranmere Rovers.

Yet the most impressive feature of the performance was not so much their play, more their mindset.

After a decade of chasing United's tails they now possess an imperious nature, an expectation of victory.

Having so gloriously disposed of Roma four days previously, Liverpool made four changes, regrouped and got back down to business. There was no suggestion from the side which will contest Sunday's Worthington Cup Final with Birmingham that they might rest on their laurels.

Just like Sir Alex Ferguson's allconquering side, Liverpool now dis-play an insatiable thirst for success and Houllier has constructed a squad big enough and good enough to compete on four fronts, if you include the battle for a Champions League spot rather than the title itself.

But while there is likely to be a clatter of cups within the Anfield trophy room this summer, there is also the foundation for an intensive assault on United's Premiership territory.

From the sixth minute yesterday victory for Houllier's side was a done deal, with referee Graham Poll fooled by the artistic response of Smicer to a penalty box challenge from goalkeeper Nicky Weaver.

Litmanen drove home his second goal for the club since arriving from Barcelona but his influence is now far more important than his scoring output.

That was perfectly illustrated in the 12th minute when the Finnish link-man gathered the ball before delivering a curving pass into the path of Heskey, who merely had to allow the ball to settle before beating Weaver from the edge of the box for his 18th goal of the season.

But with the majority of Liverpool supporters now wondering how many their heroes would run in, Andrei Kanchelskis put a spanner in the works, albeit temporarily.

The Russia winger, a thorn in Liverpool's side during his time with both United and Everton, collected a long corner from Danny Tiatto on 28 minutes and drove the ball through a ruck of players. While Darren Huckerby's attempt to back-heel the ball failed, his nuisance value meant that Sander Westerveld was distracted and City were back in it.

However, Liverpool's anxiety evaporated seven minutes into the second half when Smicer and Weaver again did battle and this time there was no doubt that the keeper brought down the Czech.

With Litmanen having retired with a minor calf strain, it was Smicer himself who powered home the penalty and Liverpool were once more in charge.

Huckerby should have given City another foothold in the game but shot over before Babbel headed past Weaver from Christian Ziege's free-kick to bring Liverpool's goal tally for the last nine games to 21.

Shaun Goater prodded home a second for Joe Royle's relegationthreatened side near the end but the former Evertonian's recorded belief that Liverpool are again to be a major force was never threatened.

Liverpool will now rest before facing Roma in Thursday night's UEFA Cup fourth-round, second leg but Houllier can be certain that whoever faces the Italians will be up for the job. That is the way of things at Anfield these days.

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