Richard Jolly reports

Leeds, Peter Reid said, were too good to turn down. He may have been reconsidering that opinion 20 minutes into his first game as Liverpool seemed intent on crushing his demoralised teams.

Michael Owen, clinically, and Danny Murphy, brilliantly, scored as Peter Ridsdale's fears of relegation looked increasingly well-founded.

But then Liverpool relaxed and Leeds, Mark Viduka leading from the front, pulled a goal back and then threatened an equaliser in a second-half showing with more purpose and shape.

However, there was no fairytale ending for Liverpool fan and former Everton player Reid, the dominant Steven Gerrard becoming the third in-form England international to score and seal a deserved three points.

Gerard Houllier had made securing Champions League football next year his priority after Liverpool's UEFA Cup exit and there was little sign of a hangover from the defeat to Celtic.

Leeds' hangover can be dated to their Champions League exit two years ago, David O'Leary's book or a certain night at the Majestyk; whichever, the sacking of Terry Venables scarcely seemed an adequate cure, Reid's pre-match teamtalk surely negated within minutes.

The first warning shot was fired early, Murphy cutting in to sting Paul Robinson's palms from 25 yards. Murphy, it later transpired, was merely warming up and an even better dipping effort from a similar position was unstoppable.

And his early shot was was no one-off. As Reid soon discovered, you can take Ian Harte out of the Leeds team, but defensive weakness on the left remains. Twice, the unlikely combination of Emile Heskey and El-Hadji Diouf cut them open and the Senegalese international, making the most of his recall, was first denied by Robinson and then shot wide.

Viduka: First goal under Reid

Such were Raul Bravo's problems against Diouf that the Spanish international was withdrawn for Harte at half time, his role in Owen's goal perhaps the final straw for Reid.

Bravo failed to track Owen as he chased a long ball and then neither prevented Diouf's cross or the England striker's finish from 12 yards for his fourth goal in as many Premiership games.

Viduka's finest 90 minutes in a Leeds shirt came against Liverpool and he produced a contender for his best showing of the season against the same opposition.

A fine half-volley and a dangerous shot on the turn just missed the target, but he met a miscued Jason Wilcox volley with two efforts on the target. The first was well saved by Jerzy Dudek, the latter Leeds' first goal under Reid.

Buoyed by that, Leeds were more postive after the interval and though Diouf had to clear a Danny Mills off his line, Liverpool survived with few alarms and were content to exploit the extra space they found on the counter-attack.

The watching Tord Grip, as much as the Kop, must have enjoyed the instinctive understanding of the England trio, Gerrard's power and Owen's pace complementing the inventive Murphy.

A fourth England international, Heskey, was less inspired and blasted wildly over after a clever Murphy chip and Owen lay-off.

No matter as, after Murphy grazed the outside of the post in a search for his second, Owen's solo run occupying the Leeds defence and his cross finding Gerrard to sidefoot home with ease.

Liverpool are just two points off the coveted Champions League spot where Leeds, eight months and one manager ago, imagined they would be. Instead, Reid may be grateful for their five-point cushion on the relegation zone.

MAN OF THE MATCH: Michael Owen (Liverpool) - Caused havoc by running at the Leeds defence and chipped in with a goal.

Liverpool: Dudek, Carragher, Hyypia, Traore, Riise, Diouf, Hamann (Diao 78), Gerrard, Murphy, Owen, Heskey (Baros 78).
Subs Not Used: Smicer, Arphexad, Biscan. 

Leeds: Robinson, Mills, Lucic, Radebe, Bravo (Harte 45), Barmby (Milner 45), Bakke, Okon (McMaster 78), Wilcox, Viduka, Smith.
Subs Not Used: Martyn, Batty.
Booked: Bakke.

Att: 43,021
Ref: A D'Urso (Essex).