David James swore at Michael Owen for slotting his 100th Liverpool goal past him and kicked a post hard. The pair's embrace at the end, though, was heartfelt. West Ham's 'keeper appreciates the magnitude of Owen's achievements this year more than most.
It is not just that James was there, in Liverpool colours, when Owen got off the mark at Wimbledon in May 1997, or that the England colleagues are close friends. James knows how easy it is to fail at Anfield because of pressure or lack of application.
For Owen, 2001 was the big grand slam: five trophies, a hat-trick in Munich, the European player of the year award and his century completed after coming off the bench here to round things off. It was classic Owen: one shot, one goal, one point for Liverpool when they were two minutes from none.
Twelve months ago he was called an "England reject". One headline boomed: "Time to come of age, Michael." And Owen did, when the talent was no longer just admired by the country but demanded; when hamstring worries gnawed at his self-belief; when he knew every dip in form would be seized as proof he was finished. He got 37 goals from 57 games, including winners in the FA Cup final, Super Cup and Charity Shield.
Not that Owen was the only mature young Englishman to shine in front of Sven-Goran Eriksson on Saturday. Joe Cole enhanced his reputation as a central midfielder of great promise with a display that was not only skilful but sensible.
He and Michael Carrick, two 20-year-olds, were pivotal to much of West Ham's impressive football.
Throw in the skill of Trevor Sinclair and the potential of Jermain Defoe, who was full of clever movement, and West Ham could easily have won. Only Jerzy Dudek's saves denied them. Liverpool were overrun in the first half with Gary McAllister and Vladimir Smicer in the middle of midfield and needed the introduction of Steven Gerrard and Owen to earn a draw. That pair's importance to Liverpool's title challenge was never more obvious.
Liverpool's assistant manager Phil Thompson claimed it would have been "a travesty" if his team had lost but he was wide of the mark. James did make three good saves, two from the disappointing Nicolas Anelka, but Liverpool often looked one-dimensional.
West Ham defended deep enough to prevent them releasing their pacey strikers through the middle and the visitors managed little width in dangerous areas until late on. Their pressure did tell, though, a Jari Litmanen cross culminating in Owen's sharp finish from Emile Heskey's prod.
West Ham had gone ahead through a low, 20-yard shot by the lively Sinclair but it was fitting that the final word went to Owen.
WEST HAM: James, Schemmel, Repka, Dailly, Winterburn, Hutchison, Carrick, Cole, Sinclair, Kanoute, Defoe. Subs Not Used: Hislop, Foxe, Moncur, Courtois, Todorov. Booked: Sinclair. Goal: Sinclair 39.
LIVERPOOL: Dudek, Carragher, Henchoz, Hyypia, Riise, Smicer (Litmanen 75), McAllister (Gerrard 45), Murphy (Owen 59), Berger, Anelka, Heskey. Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Wright. Goal: Owen 88.
Referee: R Styles (Waterlooville).
