Liverpool cruised past Newcastle United 2-0 in the Premiership round-18 match that took place on Monday and ruined striker Michael Owen first appearance at Anfield for two years. Reds' skipper Steven Gerrard opened the score for his side in the 14th minute before Peter Crouch doubled the lead and secured the victory with a goal one minute from half-time. Liverpool come in third place in the league standings with a tally of 34 points, a whole 15 points from leaders Chelsea. Gerrard put Liverpool in the lead after bursting through the Magpies defence and driving home a rising shot, before Crouch headed home to seal his side's victory. The match that witnessed a below-par Owen at work also saw Newcastle's Lee Bowyer receive his marching orders for a tackle on Xabi Alonso in the 66th minute. Meanwhile, Manchester United extended their unbeaten run to eight games after defeating West Brom 3-0 at Old Trafford. Paul Scholes opened the score for United in the 35th minute before Rio Ferdinand and Ruud Van Nistelrooy secured their side's victory with goals in the 45th and 63rd minutes. United come in second place in the league charts with a tally of 40 points, nine points behind leaders Chelsea, but with two postponed matches still to play. Scholes gave United the lead after finishing a Park Ji-Sung cross from around 18 yards, while Ferdinand doubled his side's lead with a half-time header from a Ryan Giggs corner-shot. Dutch ace van Nistelrooy secured United's victory with a magnificent header in the 63rd minute. Elsewhere, Bolton lost two precious points after being held by Sunderland to a goalless draw, Wigan put on a great game after narrowly defeating Manchester City 4-3, West Ham held Portsmouth to a 1-1 draw and Blackburn Rovers defeated Middlesbrough 2-0. The Premiership round-19 will kick off on Wednesday, only 48 hours after the 18th round.
