Liverpool	4 - 1	Portsmouth
Scorers Benayoun 13 Distin o.g. 16 Torres 67 Torres 85  Booked Arbeloa 45	Half Time ( 2 - 0 )	Scorers Benjani 57  Booked Diop 21 Hreidarsson 34

Fernando Torres scored his twelfth and thirteenth of the season to secure a convincing victory to Liverpool at home to high-flying Portsmouth. The visitors threatened to make a game of it early in the second-half but the hosts’ superiority was evident by the final whistle.

Pompey’s run of six consecutive away victories came to an end as Liverpool dominated the early stages and raced into a two goal lead thanks to a match-winning performance from Fernando Torres.

Benitez kept faith with the same Liverpool side who lost to Man Utd last weekend, while Redknapp made only one change as Hermann Hreidarsson came in for the injured Noe Pamarot.

Liverpool started by far the better side and Dirk Kuyt, who hasn’t had the best of games recently, had an early shot blocked by Johnson when he looked certain to score after Torres found space and crossed from the right

And it was another foraging Torres run on left which brought the opening goal. Sol Campbell backed off the striker and a challenge on him directed the ball out to Harry Kewell. And his inch-perfect cross was met by Yossi Benayoun who put the Reds ahead after 13 minutes with a superb volley.

Three minutes later a Sylvain Distin own goal doubled the lead. Another swift move involving Torres saw Campbell try to clear but the ball rebounded off the unlucky Distin and beat David James.

Pompey couldn’t find a reply to the Liverpool pace and pressure and the Reds continued to pen them in their own half. They found it difficult to cope with the Anfield side and were clearly out of sorts compared with previous trips away from Fratton Park.

The Reds looked likely to score at almost every move forward as they created too much space on the pitch and had plenty of time to move the ball around.

Portsmouth looked better in the second-half and played with more purpose as they looked a different side to the first 45 minutes.

Hyypia’s poor clearance nearly gifted Papa Bouba Diop a goal but his effort was narrowly over as all the action in the game was down at one end of the pitch.

Substitute Kanu proved a big difference for Pompey as they started the second-half in control. It was the Nigerian’s deep cross to Benjani who was superbly picked out, which allowed the Zimbabwean to score at the back post after 57 minutes.

For a short time it looked as though Pompey would put up a real fight for the points. But Liverpool started to pass the ball around with ease and controlled the midfield again as Portsmouth failed to take advantage of their lifeline.

In many ways, it wasn’t just a Portsmouth side who looked below par, but a Liverpool team who were clearly back to their best after their recent games.

Kewell might’ve restored the two-goal advantage but drove a shot over the bar as the Reds powerhouse moved up a gear.

But Torres appeared to put the result beyond doubt when he side-footed home after David James had parried from Ryan Babel, as he calmly slotted home from the edge of the area with his right foot.

And five minutes from time, the Spaniard scored his second of the game to give the Reds the emphatic victory their performance they deserved. With increasing space for the home side in the dying minutes, Jamie Carragher hit a diagonal ball to Gerrard at the far post and he nodded it back for Torres to hit a low volley wide of James with his left foot.

The three points keeps Liverpool in fifth place but gets their title push back on track as they move within a point of Manchester City and Chelsea. It would always take an assured performance to end Pompey’s run of away victories and this is just what Liverpool produced.

Portsmouth’s fourth league defeat of the season was almost out of their hands as Liverpool dominated the game and didn’t allow the south coast side enough of the ball to do any damage. Their fight back was visible but not sustained enough and the defeat sees them slip below Everton on goal difference.


Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Carragher, Riise, Benayoun (Babel 64), Gerrard, Mascherano, Kewell (Aurelio 76), Torres (Lucas 86), Kuyt.

Subs Not Used: Itandje, Voronin.

Portsmouth: James, Johnson (Lauren 46), Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Utaka (Kanu 46), Diop, Pedro Mendes, Muntari (Taylor 73), Kranjcar, Mwaruwari.

Subs Not Used: Begovic, Nugent.

Att: 43,071

Ref: Mike Riley (Yorkshire).

By Ben Hughes