Life on the up and up for happy Houllier

Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1

A year ago Gérard Houllier was confined to an intensive care unit, recovering from cardiac surgery. Coincidentally, as the Frenchman pointed out after yesterday's encounter, he had been taken ill during a match against Leeds. Twelve months on, and against the same opponents, his team offered evidence of the progress they have made as they experienced life at the Premiership summit.

True, Liverpool were somewhat fortunate to maintain their advantage when, at the death, John Arne Riise contrived to lose possession to the substitute Mark Viduka, a lapse that should have culminated in Harry Kewell equalising. Fortunately for Houllier's state of health, the young Australian squandered the opportunity and Salif Diao's 66th-minute goal proved to be the winner.

"Riise gave me the best test I could have had for my heart," declared a quietly content Liverpool manager, who can always be guaranteed upon to support his contentions with statistics. "In the last 27 [Premiership] games we've lost only one – to Tottenham – and in the last 13 away games we've won nine. That's championship standard."

It is indeed, although Liverpool appear to be still some way from emulating the standard that Arsenal have established. Three weeks ago here the Gunners won 4-1. Yesterday, Diao's piece of second- half enterprise was the only occasion that the young England pretender Paul Robinson was called into serious action.

In truth, though, this never promised to be a sumptuous re-working of last season's classic, when Liverpool took the spoils with a 4-0 triumph. We shouldn't have anticipated anything more from the visitors after an international break and immediately prior to a key Champions' League fixture. Liverpool also had significant absentees. Emile Heskey, Steven Gerrard and Stéphane Henchoz were all missing, while Michael Owen only emerged from the bench for the final third of the game.

As for Leeds, the opportunities they created and spurned, with Kewell the principal offender, were not sufficient to quell the mood of frustration that is already pervading the stadium. There was criticism of Venables' failure to deploy Viduka and Olivier Dacourt from the start. Once Liverpool scored their goal and Leeds' third home defeat was looking an ominous prospect, the chants began: "O'Leary, O'Leary".

Venables was asked if he had heard the chants. Straight-faced, he responded, "I have now" before issuing that familiar chuckle. He added in a more serious tone: "The supporters must do what they must do. But I know if we keep improving it will take us where we want to go. Against Arsenal, we didn't deserve to be anywhere near them. Today I was very disappointed. We were the better side without doubt."

Liverpool began where Arsenal left off, but lacked the incision of Arsène Wenger's team near goal. El Hadji Diouf and Milan Baros stretched a Leeds rearguard in which the the Swede Teddy Lucic, on loan from AIK Solna, replaced Dominic Matteo, who is recovering from knee surgery, but failed to examine Robinson who, in the lobster-pot cast to succeed David Seaman, probably has the most capable claws to replace "Safe Hands".

The closest Liverpool came to profiting from that initial domination was a Danny Murphy volley which was deflected over by Jonathan Woodgate. Leeds, at that stage, looked bereft of ideas, although a midfield containing Stephen McPhail, Nick Barmby and Eirik Bakke were never likely to inflict a sense of real fear in the visitors. Only Lee Bowyer appeared capable of fashioning the required opening.

However, Liverpool's failure in front of goal was strangely followed by retreat as Leeds slowly began to seize the initiative with Alan Smith and Kewell unnerving the visitors' defenders. Midway through the half, Smith surged through and his shot deflected off Sami Hyypia but missed the far post by inches. Then Bowyer's cross gave Kewell a chance with his head, but Jerzy Dudek turned the ball over.

Venables stressed beforehand that, following Smith's dismissal against Macedonia on Wednesday, he does not want his striker to play "like a fairy". Was there ever any chance of that? The bleach- blond bustler just can't prevent himself getting involved. When he was kicked on the knee in a challenge from Jamie Carragher – requiring six stitches – it instigated a heated touchline debate with Smith, Venables, Brian Kidd, Phil Thompson and the fourth official, Jeff Winter, all getting involved. "We weren't particularly happy with the tackle," said Venables diplomatically.

Just before the break, Kewell was even nearer to a goal with a header from Ian Harte's free-kick which smacked against the bar. But Leeds could not sustain that pressure. With Owen about to to enter the fray Liverpool scored. Diouf, on the left, dinked the ball in towards the goal, there was a slight deflection off Danny Mills and Diao arrived ahead of Harte to flick the ball past Robinson.

Viduka, on for Smith, made an immediate impact when he headed over from a Mills cross. Then, with five minutes remaining, the Australian won the ball from Riise and forced his way past Hyypia before cutting the ball back for Kewell. He showed commendable sleight of foot to create space, but then was responsible for a collective clutching of heads in hands as his attempt cleared the bar. And Houllier could relax.

Leeds United 0 Liverpool 1
Diao 66

Half-time: 0-0 Attendance: 40,187