Wigan Athletic 0 Liverpool 4: Bellamy set free to bring Wigan woe

Before yesterday, it had been so long since Liverpool had got a goal in open play in an away Premiership match, the scorer had become a quiz question. Not any more; not only did they break their miserable run, they routed Wigan Athletic.

One goal would have been an exception given their travel sickness, but instead they got four and, to make the afternoon even more exceptional, Craig Bellamy was a potent force. Cleared of assault charges by Cardiff Magistrates on Wednesday, yesterday he scored twice.

They were Liverpool's first away League goals from open play since Djibril Cissé (remember him?) scored against Portsmouth in May and they were followed up by further first-half strikes from Dirk Kuyt and Lee McCulloch, who marked Wigan's desperate performance with an own goal. The result propels Liverpool, who were booed by their own fans after drawing 0-0 with Portsmouth in midweek, to the verge of the Champions' League places and suddenly their domestic campaign is taking on a better appearance.

Wigan, meanwhile, have gained only one point in nine and face Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United by Boxing Day. Yesterday, they did not have a clue against opponents who hit them on the break, particularly Bellamy.

His goals crowned a personal good week, in which he received a favourable court verdict after a five-day trial. Bellamy will never win a popularity contest - he was booked for kicking out at Leighton Baines - but his electric pace make him a dangerous striker and possibly for the first time since he arrived from Blackburn in the summer, he looked worth the £6 million Liverpool paid for him.

"Maybe his mind is clear now," Rafael Benitez, the Liverpool manager said. "Today he was fantastic, always creating problems with his pace. He has different qualities to some of the other strikers and he gives us different options. I am really pleased for him. In the past I've I told him to keep going and to keep working harder. Today he worked just as hard but with more intelligence and maybe the passes from Xabi Alonso and Steve Gerrard were better too."

A back spasm forced Peter Crouch to withdraw before the warm-up but if Kuyt's sudden promotion to the line-up was unexpected, the Liverpool attack ran smoothly from the start. John Arne Riise played a long pass down the left in the ninth minute, Wigan's Emmerson Boyce could not get the elevation to make a proper clearing header and Bellamy scorched away from Matt Jackson. He is not always noted for his finishing but he was clinical, clipping the ball round Chris Kirkland.

Wigan's defence had coped miserably with that long ball and they did no better three minutes later. This time the recipient was Gerrard and if he had showed greater composure, Bellamy would probably have got a second. Instead, the pass was behind the striker's run.

Gerrard made amends after 26 minutes. Alonso's pass was headed away by Zat Knight and Gerrard not only won the challenge but in doing so propelled the ball between Wigan's static centre-backs and Bellamy slipped the ball under Kirkland's body. Wigan might have gained parity if they had taken their opportunities.McCulloch fired over from four yards in the 32nd minute, then Emile Heskey found the Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina's body after the visiting defence were flummoxed by the bounce of the ball.

Liverpool struck twice more before the interval. In the 41st minute Bellamy turned provider, taking Gerrard's pass beyond Boyce before passing to Kuyt, who side-footed past the increasingly bemused Kirkland. Wigan's half of defensive chaos was crowned when McCulloch knocked Gerrard's cross past his own goalkeeper.

Wigan reorganised at half-time, withdrawing Jackson and Kevin Kilbane for David Wright and David Cotterill, and there was an improvement. They nearly scored in the 80th minute when Heskey hit the post and, to compound a day they will wish to forget, the rebound hit Cotterill and bounced clear even though he was only two yards out. "We're all a bit shell shocked," Paul Jewell, the Wigan manager, said. "It's going to be a long night. At least I can watch the cricket because I won't be sleeping."