Liverpool made it through to the fourth round of the Uefa Cup with a 1-0 defeat of Vitesse Arnhem at Anfield, but it was anything but a vintage performance.

Gerard Houllier's side went into the game on the back of four defeats in five Premiership games and in need of a confidence-boosting display.

Key moments

19 mins: Peeters misses a simple chance to put Vitesse in front 21 mins: Owen scores at the second attempt 71 mins: Peeters misses another chance to keep the tie alive

But they struggled to produce any sort of fluency and again were over-reliant on the scoring ability of Michael Owen

Liverpool could easily have found themselves two down before Owen's 21st minute strike.

Bob Peeters was close to getting on the end of a dangerous cross from Matthew Amoah in the fourth minute, but Reds keeper Chris Kirkland got down well.

Peeters should have done much better in the 19th minute when Tim Cornelisse swung in a dangerous cross that escaped the Liverpool defence and found the big striker at the back post.

The most important thing tonight was the clean sheet Steven Gerrard

But somehow Peeters managed to put his header from point blank range against the outside of the post with Kirkland well beaten.

In between the visitors' early chances Vladimir Smicer slipped a pass into Murphy but Vitesse keeper Dragoslav Jevric was quick off his line to block the England midfielder's shot.

Two minutes after Peeters' second miss Liverpool went in front with Owen's 15th goal of the season.

It was set up by an exquisite ball behind the Vitesse defence from the increasingly influential Murphy.

Murphy was at the centre of much of Liverpool's play

Owen's pace took him away and after firing straight at the keeper, the striker was on hand to finish off from the rebound.

Murphy combined with Owen again shortly before half-time, but this time the forward's shot was blocked by a retreating defence.

Vitesse went close to pulling a goal back before the interval when Amoah tried his luck from outside the box, but Kirkland dealt with the problem with ease.

It seemed only a goal from Vitesse was going to spark Liverpool into life and the Dutch side nearly got it in the 71st minute when Emile Mbamba flicked on for Peeters.

It wasn't the prettiest game tonight but it is something to build on Michael Owen

But again the forward failed to find the net, firing straight at Kirkland when he should really have scored.

Liverpool ended the game almost in cruise control and completed only their second win in nine games - the other being the first leg against Vitesse.

Can we play you every week could have been the cry from the Liverpool fans who were left inside Anfield at the final whistle.

Liverpool: Kirkland, Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Traore, Gerrard, Smicer (Baros 88), Diao (Hamann 68), Murphy, Owen, Diouf (Riise 78). Subs Not Used: Dudek, Babbel, Biscan, Mellor.

Booked: Henchoz.

Vitesse: Jevric, Cornelisse, Stefanovic, Jansen, Frankel (Mustapha Riga 35), Levtsjenko, Amoah (Dingsdag 68), Janssen, Claessens, Peeters, Mbamba.
Subs Not Used: Van Fessem, Van Beukering, Sone, Rojer.

Attendance: 23,576

Referee: Wolfgang Stark (Ergolding)