West Brom 0-6 Liverpool
Liverpool's biggest win for over a year moved them closer to their target of finishing in a top 4 position, and the Reds are now just one point away from third placed Newcastle.
Emile Heskey started on the bench, having spent the week battling to be fit for the game due to an injury picked up during Monday's win against Charlton. Milan Baros replaced Heskey in what was an otherwise unchanged line up.
West Brom started brightly, with the game's first chance falling to Danny Dichio less than a minute from the kick off, but he fired wide.
Liverpool's first opportunity arrived after 7 minutes, when a Murphy shot forced Russel Hoult into his first save of the game, as Liverpool looked to get on top of the game, and it wasn't much longer before Liverpool had their first of the afternoon, with Michael Owen placing a shot in the corner of the net after picking up a good ball through to him from Riise.
Milan Baros could have made it 2-0 just over a minute after Owen's goal though Hoult was equal to his low shot, and with the West Brom 'keeper beaten
Even with Hoult beaten, the West Brom defenders were determined to keep the score down, with Derek McInnes clearing off the line on 19 minutes, and desperate last man challenges from both Ifan Udeze and Neil Clement within a couple of minutes of each other, both denying Milan Baros from getting a shot on goal after the Czech had got himself into the box.
Michael Owen was having less trouble getting past the West Brom defence, but was finding Russel Hoult in excellent form, with the Reds striker denied his 100th Premiership goal on the half hour.
The home side then went on to enjoy their best spell of the first half, though failed to create chance on target as first Wallwork had a chance which he fired over the bar, and later Dichio headed wide.
Liverpool went into the break just a goal ahead, though it could and should have been more, with Russell Hoult taking much of the credit for keeping the score down.
The Reds moved up a gear at the start of the second half though, and quickly added a couple of goals to the scoreline to all but end West Brom's chances of getting anything from the match.
Milan Baros netted the first of the two, with a scrappy finish after brilliant work by Gerrard, and Michael Owen became only the 10th player to score 100 Premiership goals less than two minutes later, again thanks to a cross from Gerrard.
Owen's hat-trick was completed after just over an hour of the match as Liverpool began to run riot. A run by Baros down the right of the pitch saw him into the area, but he was crowded out by West Brom defenders before he could get his shot on goal, though Baros still managed to pick out Owen, who was left with the simple task of tapping the ball in from close range to conclude his tenth Liverpool hat-trick.
Five minutes later, Owen had his fourth, and in doing so he became the first Liverpool player to score four goals in a league match away from home since Ian Rush managed a similar feat 21 years ago at Everton. Danny Murphy was the provider this time, threading a ball through the West Brom defence for Owen to run onto, and the Reds' striker placed his shot in the bottom corner.
On 78 minutes, Baros had yet another chance to add to Liverpool's goal tally, but failed again to add his name to the scoresheet for the second time.
Owen could have had a fifth goal as the game drew close to the final ten minutes, but fired wide from close range.
Milan Baros did finally add to his personal total for the afternoon with a goal he'd been threatening since scoring his first, when on 84 minutes he found himself one on one with Hoult once more, and
made no mistake in putting Liverpool 6-0 ahead.
West Brom could have scored a consolation with what was virtually the last kick of the game, when Dichio forced Dudek into a good save with a header from 6 yards out, and the rebound had to be cleared off the line by Carragher.
Liverpool have now won 7 out of their last 8 Premiership games, and wins in the Reds' final two matches of the season will see Champions League football back at Anfield next season.
