Gérard Houllier, the Liverpool manager, had talked of the need for Owen’s team-mates to support him and, true enough, the England forward got by with a little help from his friends, converting from Jamie Carragher’s cross in the first half and heading home Steven Gerrard’s corner just before the hour.
Those goals were only his fourth and fifth in 18 games since late October, but Houllier implied that, as has been the player’s tendency in recent seasons, a feast could follow the famine.
Admittedly, Portsmouth offered little opposition as they fell to their eleventh defeat in 15 league matches away from home this season, sinking deeper into relegation trouble, but it was not just the goals that underlined Owen’s return to form. Reunited with Emile Heskey in attack, the latter recalled at the expense of the unfortunate Milan Baros, Owen worked hard, setting up a spectacular opening goal for Dietmar Hamann after six minutes and setting the tone for a measured Liverpool display. “He’s not only a star player,” Houllier said, “he’s a team player as well.”
Two missed penalties in the past month, the first of them resulting in his team’s elimination from the FA Cup by Portsmouth in a fifth-round replay at Fratton Park, had heightened concerns about the England forward’s wellbeing, but there was never any sign of anxiety last night. Against such compliant opponents it seemed inevitable that he would score, but first came a pass for Liverpool’s opening goal as his left-wing cross was volleyed in superbly by Hamann from the edge of the penalty area.
Although Harry Redknapp, the Portsmouth manager, was able to recall Svetoslav Todorov to his attack for the first time since he ruptured his cruciate ligament two days before the start of the season, the Bulgaria forward showed clear signs of rustiness before he was withdrawn at half-time, his hesitation in the thirteenth minute allowing Igor Biscan to prevent an equaliser.
By contrast, Liverpool were full of verve, with Gerrard dominating midfield and their full backs, Carragher and the recalled John Arne Riise, pushing forward at every opportunity.
It was Carragher’s first-time cross in the 28th minute that presented Owen with the opening that he yearned for and the forward displayed great dexterity and composure to take the ball past Linvoy Primus with his first touch and shoot low past Shaka Hislop with his second.
After a double substitution at half-time, Portsmouth rallied, Dejan Stefanovic striking the bar with a free kick, but their hopes of a comeback were ended in the 58th minute as Owen pulled away from his marker to glance home a header from Gerrard’s corner.
Liverpool could have added further goals in the closing stages, Danny Murphy and Heskey hitting the post, but it was a satisfactory evening for Houllier, his delight tempered only briefly as Gerrard limped off after aggravating a foot injury.
Owen and Liverpool will be hopeful of building on this success on Saturday, when Wolverhampton Wanderers visit Anfield. Redknapp, by contrast, must rally his troops for Sunday’s derby match against Southampton, describing it as “a huge game”.