Liverpool stumble on

UEFA CUP, Third round second leg/Liverpool ... 1 Vitesse Arnhem ... 0 (Liverpool win 2-0 on agg): Any blood-letting will have to wait. Liverpool, so desperate to purge their recent dismal form, were left gnashing in familiar frustration last night to stutter rather than stride into the fourth round.

For all the inevitable public shows of satisfaction, progress in such disjointed fashion will offer scant consolation to Gerard Houllier this morning. His side seem devoid of confidence, lacking any real rhythm as if constricted by the nightmarish memories of recent set-backs.

That much was obvious from the opening. While Liverpool led by the interval, the nerves - initially clearly jangling - had hardly been allayed. Michael Owen's 19th European goal earned that slender advantage, though Arnhem's busy enterprise rather suffocated the home side's attacking verve.

Indeed, the early impetus was with Vitesse. Tim Cornelisse's pass down the right flank by-passed Djimi Traore to free Matthew Amoah, whose low centre was gathered amid a clutch of legs by Chris Kirkland on the edge of the six-yard box.

Unperturbed, Cornelisse went alone moments later, nut-megging Sami Hyypia and crossing for Bob Peeters, a beanpole forward absent from the first leg with flu, to nod wastefully against the outside of the post.

Vitesse goalkeeper Dragoslav Jevric had been outstanding a fortnight earlier, beaten only once by Owen midway through the first half. This, then, was deja vu: a rare slick passing exchange between Steve Gerrard, Murphy, El Hadji Diouf and Jamie Carragher returning possession to Murphy who spun a delicious first-time pass on to which Owen charged. The striker's initial shot rebounded from Jevric's midrift, though he recovered his poise to slide in the rebound.

Sensing that they had little to lose, Arnhem - in such dire straits they could only field six substitutes permitted - threw caution to the wind.

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. Goals: Owen 21.

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: W Stark (Ergolding).