Abel Xavier scored his first goal for the club and Sami Hyypia chipped in with a header as the Reds shot to the top of the Premiership.

This was an immensely impressive Liverpool performance, underpinned by a commanding display from Steven Gerrard in midfield and given attacking verve by Heskey and Owen.

It was only substitute Nicolas Anelka who missed out as Liverpool's mid-season slump in fortunes, which had threatened to fatally undermine their title bid, was made to look a distant memory.

Ipswich never came to terms with the imposing authority of Gerrard and Dietmar Hamann, allied to the immense work-rate of Danny Murphy and John Arne Riise, while Heskey and Owen were constant menaces up front.

Just 16 minutes into his Liverpool debut following an £800,000 move from Everton, Xavier saw his shot deflected in off Chris Makin.

Ipswich rallied briefly, with Jerzy Dudek saving from Marcus Bent and Sixto Peralta, but the respite was painfully brief for the home side.

Gerrard delivered the through-ball with perception and superb technique, but it still required Heskey to bring the ball almost lazily under control before slipping a left-foot shot past Andy Marshall shortly before the break.

The Ipswich keeper denied Owen and Riise after the restart but he was hopelessly exposed by his defence and Hyypia had soon powered home a header from a corner.

Pegguy Arphexad replaced Dudek as Liverpool's goalkeeping spectator and he had much to admire as the visitors were by now rampant.

Owen was not about to miss out as he clipped home a shot after a superb counter-attack that was started by Gerrard in his own half and had reached the striker via Riise and then the tireless Gerrard again.

With 20 minutes left, Owen struck again as Heskey put his strike partner through with alarming ease and while Anelka's only real effort was saved, Heskey was not to be denied a second as he applied the finish.