Soccer: Brawl mars Owen's homecoming

Liverpool striker Peter Crouch and midfielder Steven Gerrard could both have action taken against them by the Football Association after Michael Owen's return to Anfield descended into an ugly brawl.

Crouch and Gerrard both scored in the 2-0 win over Newcastle United as the European champions clocked up an eighth successive Premier League win.

But the pair were later involved in a flair-up after Lee Bowyer's illegal challenge on Spanish midfielder Xabi Alonso earned the Newcastle midfielder his fourth red card in 12 months.

Referee Mark Halsey let Gerrard off the hook after he confronted and then shoved Newcastle's Alan Shearer as the match exploded after halftime.

Meanwhile, Crouch escaped with a yellow card after pushing Bowyer to the floor as Alonso withered around in agony.

The FA could now step in and investigate the ugly incident, which marred a deserved win for Liverpool who put their Fifa Club World Championship final defeat behind them with a convincing performance.

"It was a dangerous tackle," said Gerrard, referring to Bowyer's sending-off.

"I'm not sure if it was a straight red. Maybe a yellow would have been more sensible.

"I'm not proud of what I did but it was all handbags."

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insisted he did not see the incident while Newcastle's Graeme Souness also said he missed it - even though it took place right in front of the dugouts where the two managers sat.

"I'm not fudging the issue but I didn't see it," Souness said.

"You are always risking it if you launch yourself into a tackle like that.

"But I'm told by those sitting alongside me that there should have been more than one red card dished out."

In what was a bad day at the office for former Liverpool captain and manager Souness, defender Steven Taylor looked set to miss the next three months after dislocating his shoulder in the first half.

England striker Owen, who failed to seriously test Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina, had a miserable return to the club where he was worshipped before leaving for Real Madrid 16 months ago.

The scorer of 158 Liverpool goals in 297 senior appearances during eight years at Anfield received a mixed reaction from supporters.

Some fans clearly have yet to forgive him for leaving in the first place and then opting to join Newcastle, instead of returning to Merseyside, after one disappointing season at Real Madrid.

"Where were you in Istanbul?" - in reference to Liverpool's Champions League triumph in May - and "You should have signed for a big club" were two of the chants bellowed in Owen's direction.

- NZPA