Owen registers unbeaten century

The 23-year-old has also joined an illustrious list of former Reds to have chalked up a century of League goals, and TheFA.com has decided to select his ten most memorable strikes in chronological order.

Goal No.1
Wimbledon 1  Liverpool 2, 6 May 1997

This was the goal that first brought the striker supreme into our consciousness in a match that his team needed to win to stay in the 1996/97 championship race. And, with the visitors trailing 2-0 at the time, manager Roy Evans introduced a then unknown, fresh-faced boy in a desperate late attempt to salvage a point. He managed to half the deficit with what is now a trademark Owen goal - the spin away from the last defender who was marking him too tightly, before a rolled finish into the corner of the net past Neil Sullivan having opened up his body.

Goal No.8
Liverpool 1  Newcastle United 0, 12 January 1998

Again Liverpool were in contention for the League championship, although this season Owen was not such an unknown commodity to defenders as he had been during the previous ten months of his fledging career. And, playing in front of a live television audience for the first time, he marked the occasion by scoring the winning goal at the Kop end, controlling a difficult through-ball on his chest, before riffling a shot into the back of the net off the underside of the crossbar.

Goal No.23
Newcastle United 1  Liverpool 4, 30 August 1998

Owen marked his return to Liverpool colours following his dramatic impact on the 1998 World Cup by savaging Newcastle single-handedly with a breathtaking hat-trick. His first two strikes had been impressive, but he saved the best for last with a goal that was a virtual repeat of his famous solo effort against the Argentinians two months earlier, jinking his way through almost the entire Newcastle defence, before dinking the ball over the advancing Shay Given for an impudent finish.

Goal No.40
Sunderland 0  Liverpool 2, 20 November 1999

Strange as it may sound now, this was the season that Peter Reid's Black Cats were impregnable at home on Wearside, until they met up with Owen that is, and not for the first time in his brief career, the phrase 'goal out of nothing' was used to describe this effort. Picking up a hopeful long ball wide on the Sunderland right touchline, the striker skipped through two rash tackles, before wriggling along the byline and beating Thomas Sorensen with a clever chip after the keeper went to ground too early.


Goal No.69
Liverpool 3  Manchester United 1, 4 November 2001

Billed as a potential title showdown between two arch rivals of the north west, this match was all about Owen and his deadly finishing abilities, with the England striker breaking the deadlock with what is now known as a typical Owen finish. Reacting quicker than any of the United back four to an Emile Heskey flick-on, he raced clean through on goal, before opening his body up and curling an immaculate shot high into the top left-hand corner of Fabien Barthez's net.

Goal No.71
Blackburn Rovers 1  Liverpool 1, 17 November 2001

A rarity indeed for the small forward, a header. Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier has been telling the English media how his No.1 attacker has improved immeasurably in all areas of his game since he joined the club, especially in his heading ability, and this effort against Blackburn proved that beyond doubt as he got the better of one of the Premiership's tallest back lines to head home from outside the area.






Goal No.73
Liverpool 2  Middlesbrough 0, 8 December 2001

And, as if to back that point up, three weeks later the England hitman helped to see of Boro with a long-range pile-driver from 25 yards that flew past a startled Mark Schwarzer in the visitors goal; the complete striker?

Goal No.80
Sunderland 0  Liverpool 1, 13 April 2002

Liverpool were in a two-way battle for the Premiership title with Arsenal, and desperately needed to take maximum points from a potentially tricky trip to the north east, so who better to call upon that Mickey Blue Eyes? His decisive strike yet again came out of the blue as a hopeful ball into the box was acrobatically volleyed high into the net past a stranded Thomas Sorensen.


Goal No.98
Everton 1  Liverpool 2, 19 April 2003

Another win for the Reds secured thanks to Owen's first-ever strike against Liverpool's city rivals from open play, and just his second in total against the Toffees, but what an important one. Collecting the ball from John Arne Riise tight to the left-hand touchline, Owen went past Joseph Yobo as if he were not there, then accelerated past two more motionless Everton defenders, before drilling in a low shot past Richard Wright at his near post to put the visitors ahead.

Liverpool's Leading Goalscorers
(Total league goals)